『First Move』

After the end of the club announcements, the students began to quietly gather around the clubs representatives to register. It appeared that the impact caused by Horikita Manabu on the crowd was not going to vanish so easily.

"Putting which club I'm joining aside, I believe you didn't introduce your friends, Yuuichi," I said.

"Oh, that's right. Sorry, I totally forgot. Let's see..."

We were currently in the middle of the gymnasiums. I was having a discussion with potential future enemies. And undoubtedly, I wasn't the only one who was aware of that fact.

"As you already know, this is Siesta—just Siesta. Even we don't know her full name."

"A lady must have some secrets. I'm certain you will agree with me, Ayanokouji-kun."

Disregarding her statement momentarily, there was something brothering me since we spoke. I couldn't tell what it was, but it made me uncomfortable. Perhaps... No. That was unreasonable.

"Hardly. I find concealing your name way over the roof."

"Right? That's what we all thought, too!" Said the boy holding a little child with his hand.

"Oh? Sora-kun. I don't believe that you, of all people, should be the one to talk." Siesta responded back.

Yuuichi then pointed his index at him: a tall, slender young man, with a messy brown hair and a sharp pair of red eyes. His name was Sora. Next to him—the girl holding his hand the entire time—was his 'sister,' Shiro. She had long, straight white hair that reached down her waist. She also possessed a pair of red eyes, resembling that of Sora's. While Sora seemed to be around our age, I couldn't say the same thing about Shiro.

"Those two are Sora and Shiro. Together, they go by 'Blank.' Apparently, those siblings played thousands of games, and have never lost before."

They claimed to have never lost, what a bold statement. Personally, I couldn't believe it was possible for any human being to have never experienced defeat. If, however, they meant that 'Blank' had never lost, it could be theoretically plausible. Yet, such an achievement would be highly improbable and would imply almost mystical abilities. I remained unaware of when 'Blank' was created or the nature of the games involved—whether they were based on luck, skill, or a combination of both. Nonetheless, I maintained a skeptical stance on the matter.

Seeing me unfazed, he questioned my calmness. I thought he meant the siblings part, but they weren't even blood-related. Judging from their reactions, it seemed likely that they were all classmates. However, there was also a possibility that it was all an act—indicating the likelihood of multiple hidden classes, with students covering for each other, was not zero. Nevertheless, even if those hidden classes were not as populous, I doubted the school's capability to conceal that many individuals for an extended period. This implied that it was probably either a temporary situation or an idea conceived by the students themselves.

He then asked if I believed their statement. And noticing my skepticism, he even challanged me to a game. While I wasn't against the idea, if I desired to confirm his claim, it was necessary for me to show some of my abilities. Contemplating, I decided that staying low would undoubtably bring me more advantageous than knowing 1 person's capabilities. I will have many chances to test his abilities in the future.

"And? That wasn't your full name either."

"Well.... We dumped our families' name a long time ago. We just go by Sora and Shiro."

I see. That explained Siesta's come back. "By the way, how old is you sister?" I asked.

"Eleven years old," Sora disclosed.

As I suspected, she was indeed too young. It seemed unnatural for someone of her age to be here, but then again, this school was far from ordinary. If she had been deemed qualified enough to enroll, I suppose her age wouldn't be a concern. Her presence here indicated that she likely excelled in the entrance exam. This child was certainly full of surprises.

"Damn. He didn't even flinch."

Was it really so shocking for someone her age to pass such exam? While I thought it was easy, judging by the reactions I received, it seemed that I was wrong. The looks I got indicated that it was really abnormal for someone her age to be here.

It appeared that I was still lacking some common knowledge. Well, I was a normal, average student. Naturally, I was still lacking behind my peers.

After that comment, another tall and slender young man with short, black hair and violet eyes came forwards and introduced himself. "I'm Lelouch vi Britannia, but Lelouch is fine. I hate being called by my last name. Nice meeting you, Ayanokouji-kun." The raven haired boy extended his hand, asking for handshake. And naturally, I accepted it.

"Likewise." In the end I couldn't help but voice my thoughts. "It seems there are quite a few people who have issues with their names in your class."

"Haha! And here I thought you can't make jokes. Nice one, Ayanokouji."

Well, I could make jokes. I just didn't find them funny.

At any rate, half the introductions were now completed. Yuuichi, Siesta, Sora, Shiro, and Lelouch. That was a long list of names I didn't recognize—even excluding those 2 women left.

Speaking of them, the first one was a young woman with a slender build and long, straight silver hair that she kept tied back in a ponytail. She had sharp, intelligent blue eyes that were shining behind her glasses, emphasizing her scholarly nature. Also, she was wearing a laboratory apron for some reason.

"I'm Ayame Himuro, nice to make your acquaintance," She said she was Ayame Himuro. Surprisingly, it was a name I was acquainted with. Though it wasn't due to any nameplate.

"You mean, 'that' Ayame Himuro?" I questioned.

"Indeed, that is correct," She answered pridefully. She seemed rather pleased that I recognized her. I was able to detect a faint smile making its way to her pretty face. Probably not many people knew her since she enrolled. Even Her friends seemed to be in the dark.

"I didn't think I would get the chance to meet a winner of both The Fields Medal and The Millennium Prize Problems' prizes. It's an honor."

"Please, the honor is mine." She said in a humble tone. She had the right to be proud. This young woman was considered a genius among geniuses. She even had a few theories named after her.

"Hold on, why on earth didn't you tell us about that?" Sora asked.

"I don't like to brag unnecessarily."

"No no no, that was totally not the issue..."

Passing on, the last person was a young woman with long, straight black hair that reached her waist and styled neatly. She, too, had striking blue eyes and was wearing our standard school uniform. The aura around her suggested a high level of intellect and maturity. Such traits were rarely found in the whole student body.

"I'm Miyuki Shiba. Nice to meet you, Ayanokouji-san." With a respectful bow, she introduced herself.

"The pleasure is mine, Shiba."

Finally, the introductions were over. And as expected, no one talked about which class they were in. Of course, they couldn't ask about mine without risking me asking about theirs. While I was already aware of the existence of another classes now, I couldn't say how many yet. I needed to investigate things after that.

"So, Siesta. Why are you interested in archery?" Seeing the opportunity to make some small talk, I decided it was a good idea to try to make some friends.

"Well, how do I put it? There is no main reason. It's just that, when compared to the remaining clubs, it's the only thing that suits me."

I see. So she was the type to enjoy focus-demanding tasks, rather than just simply having fun. I understood because I, too, was used to—more like forced to—spending my time in a meaningful way. However, I could be lenient now. I was finally free.

"What about the rest of you?" I turned to the group of 6.

The siblings and Yuuichi seemed to be on the same boat as the majority, coming just to check things out. I guess that most students came here without any intention to join. While the siblings and Yuuichi came out of curiosity, Lelouch seemed to have a different opinion all together. Judging by his physique, I gathered that he detested tasks that required effort. But not all clubs needed physical strength. I didn't think he was unaware, but I did think he was being naive.

"I came a long because my big brother suggested it." Shiba said. I didn't know she had a brother. It looked like Sora and Shiro weren't the only 'siblings.'

"A brother? More like a lover if you ask me." Commented Lelouch.

"HUH?!"

Before I had the chance to express my confusion, a loud cry resonated in the area. It had us receive all the students' attention. Seeing that, Shiba felt embarrassed and lowered her head. Beholding her response, I was able to tell that Lelouch was kidding. But even so, wasn't she overexaggerating?

"N-No! That's not the case at all! Ayanokouji-san, Ni-sama is indeed my blood-related brother. There is nothing going on between us. Don't listen to him!" She spoke in a somewhat loud manner. She was blushing. Fortunately, no one seemed to mind. Her face had unlocked a new level of crimson though, which I thought was cute.

"That's what I truly think. Honestly, if he was just your brother, than me and my sister are strangers." Lelouch added.

"Damn!"

Sora and Shiro, Shiba and now even Lelouch. While I wasn't sure about Lelouch's sister, Shiba's brother was a student here, and in the same class as well. A bit too much to be a coincidence if I said so myself.

"No! That's not true! Ni-sama-"

"Alright, alright, just calm down. He was just joking." It took her a moment before she managed to calm down. Lelouch whispered that she probably had a brother complex, which I didn't understand. I guess I had another thing to search about. I then asked about her brother's name, and she said it was Tatsuya.

"As for me, I wanted to see if there are any science clubs." That was to be expected. Himuro was a researcher after all. I had no doubt that the school will even allow her to create her own club despite being a first year student if she wanted.

"If you are considering opening a new club, you can count me in."

"Really?! I mean *Caught*, are you sure?"

"Yeah." While that may have seemed out of character for me, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka didn't really establish what kind of person he was yet. I thought that going out of my comfort zone will help me decide, at the very least, what I shouldn't be.

"If it came to that, you will be the first person I will reach out to."

After that, our little small talk reached its conclusion. Each one went to see his own personal things. I, too, had some business I wanted to deal with, so I quickly made my way towards my destination and made a phone call. Today was going to be a long day, I had a lot of work to do.

I had already gotten my hand on a very important piece of information thanks to that conversation. Chances are, I was in a better position than I could ask for. After completing my objectives, I quickly made my way to my room. Now, everything was in place.

The next day came around, and it was the third day of school.

The class went as usual, with students bragging about the stuff they bought even while the teachers were explaining the lectures. You could probably catch the noise from the far end of the hallway. It was really a befitting thing for class D.

Soon enough, the bell rang announcing the start of our lunch break. Just before anyone could leave, however, a new group of guests entered through the door. They were students.

"So this is class D, huh? Truly the class of D-efects."

I recognized the owner of the voice, after all he was someone I recently met. There were two new faces with him, though, that I never spoke to before.

"Huh? Who the hell are you?!" The first one to react to their obvious attempt at messing with us was naturally, the short-tempered Sudou. He had instantly demonstrated to the visitor, Sora, that we were indeed a class full of defects. With one single sentence, all the previous happy atmosphere was gone. It gave me a considerable sense of Deja-vu, because I most likely did the same thing that time I disactivated the cameras.

"Sudou-kun! Calm down!" Hirata tried, but the raging Sudou couldn't be reason with.

Next to Sora stood Yuuichi and his little sister, Shiro, who was still holding his hand just like any other day. I found myself wondering if they shared the same room, too. Excluding the ones I just mentioned, there were 2 people I didn't met yesterday.

One was a slender, short white haired young boy with light blue eyes. Even in this situation, he didn't fail to capture a few of the girls' hearts. He was Norman.

"Now, now, everyone. Why don't we calm down a bit?" He spoke in a calm and respectful tone, unlike his friend Sora over there.

The other one was an attractive young girl with straight black hair and a remarkable red eyes. Although Sora has just insulted probably the entire class, she remained completely unfazed and beaming. She was Yumeko Jabami.

"That's right. We just came to play a game with you all."

"A game?"

"Correct, whatever-your-name-is-san."

".....Huh?"

Despite being outsiders, and the minority at that, they successfully managed to plant discomfort, confusion and anxiousness in the students' hearts with simple words. Of course, that was because I had made things easier for them beforehand, by damaging their self-esteem, but still notable.

"Cut the crap! You insult us and then want to play a game? Go to hell!" This time it wasn't Sudou who protested. It was actually one of the Nakano sisters, Nino.

"Nino...! Calm down...!" She shouted loudly, enough to put a couple of boys there to shame. Seeing her reaction, the group of 5 all shared a laugh, which made Nino rage even more.

"It looks like we found our first volunteer. Right?" Sora snickered.

"Indeed," Norman agreed.

They were being clear—it was plainly a trap for Nino, but she was too angry to think about anything.

"What?"

"Nino-san, right? How about this: You and I will play a simple game. If you win, we will apologize to you until you are satisfied. But if I win, you will apologize to us." Jabami suggested.

"Bring it on! I will make you kiss the ground!" Nino accepted the challenge.

"Wait Nino....!"

"Excellent! Here is the game's rules...." And the game began.

■■■

The girl then went on explaining the rules of this damn game. Who did they think they were anyway? Studently entering another class and proposing a game after insulting everyone in it? Like hell I would let them call me and my sisters a bunch defects!

"We will start adding numbers—from 0 until we reach 50. The one who says 50 or higher will be the loser. Each one of us can add either 1, 2 or 3. You can add any number you want from those three, and then it will be the end of your turn. The same thing will happen again in my turn, and we will continue like that until one of has to say 50 or more."

So to put it simply, we will start from 0 adding either 1, 2 or 3 and the loser is the one who reaches 50 first. Is that it? Did they take me for a fool? If I wanted her to say 50, then my last turn has to end with 49. And for that to happen, my previous one has to end with 45, then 41 and so on and so forth. That was the game she wanted to play? Was she that confident that she can calculate more than me?

"I advise you not to play, little girl." Kouenji-kun spoke. That was a rare occurrence, that guy never said anything except about himself.

"Nino, you will lose." That came from Ayanokouji-kun. Again, that person never spoke out of place. Every time he said something, the class turns upside down.

Did they really think I would step down just because they said so? In their dreams!

"Is everything clear?" The annoying girl asked me.

I couldn't tolerate being made fun of, nor will I forgive someone who called my sisters defects. In a rage moment, I made a rush decision.

"Yeah It is! Just start already!"

"Very well, we will decide who to start first with this coin."

She drew a golden coin, the kind you see in movies, and threw it in the air.

"What will you take? Head, or tail?"

It didn't matter which one I choose, it was 50% chance. And it was impossible to calculate all the numbers up the first one. So I just picked one at random.

"And....Ah, how unfortunate. It's my turn." She said with an angle-like smile.

"Tsk. So what? Hurry up."

I lost the right to start first, but it wasn't an important issue. There was no way she calculated all the necessary numbers, so the first number didn't matter. As long as I calculated more than her, I will win!

"I add 1."

"...3, I add 2."

"5."

"....7."

"9."

"....12...!"

"13."

"15!"

I decided to fasten our pace until I reach a number I can calculate what I should pick at. At this moment, we were randomly choosing what to add—at least, that's what I thought.

"17."

"20!"

"21."

"24!"

"25."

This.... She was only increasing it by 1 every time. I tried changing my numbers, but it didn't work.

"26!"

"29."

"30!"

"33."

And then it hit me. She wasn't hesitating at all. Unlike me, who couldn't find any reason to pick any number before, I strongly sensed that she knew what she must do way, way before I did.

It can't be...! Impossible!

"35!"

"37."

"....!"

Immediately, I realized. Even someone like me could tell at this point—I was going to lose. My heart started racing and my temperature was raising.

I will lose....

"...3...9!"

"41."

I'm losing....

"43!"

"45."

I'd ... lost.

I can't make them apologize anymore. But that was no longer my main concern.

"Sadly, it looks like you are about to lose. How about you apologize to us already?"

The moment she spoke those words, I felt a shiver down my spine. I was afraid—no, I was terrified. With a cold sweat, I forced myself to keep eye contact while I asked her.

"W-what? What do you want?"

"Now that I think about it, didn't you say that you will make us kiss the ground? I'm thinking it's only fair that you do the same, too."

"N-No Way! I'll never do that!"

"You will." Just after saying that, she pressed a few times on her phone. Soon enough, a recording started playing. It contained our conversation before she elaborated the rules.

"If you didn't, I will have to complain to the school."

"And? What will the school even do?"

"Well, I'm not sure. But it could be something you will absolutely hate. I guess we won't know unless we try." The kid made a gesture as if saying that she was fine either way. I couldn't believe it. She was lying. No way the school will go that far.... right?

"If you are thinking I am bluffing, Nino-san, then why don't you think about it yourself. This is a school that can 100% guarantee the future of all its students, but do you really think that everybody here will get that prize? It's too good to be true. There are people who don't deserve it—people just like you." She stopped for a few seconds that felt like hours. And then she continued, "If it were me, I'll never give such reward to a person who doesn't keep his word and avoid taking responsibilities for his actions."

She was smiling. The demon lass was smiling. How could a person threaten to destroy someone's life with that kind of expressions? My body started trembling, and my mind went blank. I couldn't even breath for a second.

I-I didn't know this would happen....I .... never thought that I will be the one to kneel. I have failed my sisters... and myself. Looking up one last time, I was met with a pair of eyes that penetrated my soul.

"Hurry and choose your final number."

"....I lost."

"Then, on the ground."

In the end, I had no one to blame by myself. If I knew that this will happen—no, if just listened and refused the game, I wouldn't be in this situation right now.

"You demons!"

"Heartless monsters!"

I heard the faint screams of my sisters and friends, but I wasn't able to face them. Before I realized it, I was crying.

I'm sorry.

■■■

The game Jabami proposed ended with the complete defeat of Nino. A predictable outcome given the game's rules. The game was designed such that the starting player could secure victory regardless of their opponent's choices. 49, 45, 41, 37—those numbers down to 1 can decide the winner. There was no luck or randomness, just calculations. Of course, that was just for Nino. The game was the opponent's idea, she should have at least thought they memorized them.

Nino likely believed that calculating all the way down to the first number was impossible, but that assumption proved false in many way. And Jamani's advantage in going first was not happenstance either; Nino's defeat was sealed when she failed to consider these strategic possibilities.

"Now, Nino-san," Jabami taunted, reveling in Nino's pitiful defeat. Despite her friends' attempts to intervene, Nino was left in tears, a consequence of her own decisions. Each person bore responsibility for their choices, and Nino had willingly engaged in a game where defeat was all but assured.

Taking a look around, the expressions Sora and Norman had while Nino was ordered around were as natural as they could get, while Yuuichi was making a twisted smile—one that would be compared to Jabami's. It seemed both of them took pleasure in others' suffering.

"Alright. That's enough." I interjected, rising from my seat to stand beside the distraught Nino.

"Well, if it isn't Ayanokouji!" Sora exclaimed.

Seeing that he recognized me, the reactions of my classmates differed. I detected confusion, anger, distress and hatred. But I couldn't care less about them.

"Leave her alone. You have already proved your point." When I spoke to her, she stared at me for an instant.

"Ordinarily, I wouldn't do that, but my instinct are saying otherwise." She took a few steps until she was just centimeters away from my face. "If you truly wish to save her, I'll give you a chance—although you must play a game with me instead."

Jabami was someone who enjoyed risky games rather than simply winning. Knowing that, this proposal was to be expected. However, what she was unaware about was that I wanted to take advantage of that.

"If you win, you can request anything you want. But if you lose, I get to ask for anything I desire. Both will be for the entire month."

Without a shadow of doubt, that kind of risky game were unnecessary. Even her friends thought the same, evident by their expressions. I didn't know what kind of impression she had about me, but I would think that most people would refuse to play her game. If that was her attempt for me to refuse, she could have done a better job at that. But was that really the case? If I assumed that she actually wanted to play with those conditions.... then the conclusions I came to were not comprehensible either. Whatever her goals might be, I couldn't really understand her logic using mine. But regardless, I was going to suggest a similar thing, too.

"Are you all fine with that?" I turned to her companions. Norman and Sora seemed a little relucent, but they all agreed in the end.

"So, the game we will play is—"

"Hold on," I said, halting Jabami's decision. I wasn't going to let her decide the game. "You have entered my classroom, challenged my classmate to a game of your choosing after insulting us, surely you wouldn't mind playing a game of my choosing instead."

The person in front of me didn't care about Nino at all; she was just using her as an excuse to play. She also didn't care whether she won or lost—what she really wanted was to engage in a risky game. That was what I could gather about the person few inches away from my face. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't be accepting any of that nonsense. However, perhaps just this once, it was beneficial for me, too.

"If you came up with a good one, then I won't complain."

"Do not worry. I think I have the perfect game for you." I had a good grasp on her personality. I already knew what kind of games she liked. "It's simple. If I guessed your class correctly, I win. Otherwise, you win. What do you think?"

".....!"

Excluding Class D, there were 3 other classes that she could be from. If I was a normal person, then the probability of my winning would be 33%, meanwhile hers would be 66%. Of course, that's what everybody from Class D thought. But if we added the possibility of there being a hidden class that I was unaware of, my probability of winning would be 0%. That was the value those outside guests knew to be true. So naturally, they shouldn't hesitate. But they did.

"What's wrong? Didn't you just call us defective products? What's taking you so long?"

Yuuichi's and Sora's wide smiles vanished in an instant. Norman appeared to be double checking his facts. Sora was probably going through yesterdays' conversation looking for any mistake on their part, while Shiro was just analyzing me from top to bottom.

Jabami was still smiling—no, calling that a normal smile would be inaccurate. Her expressions were that of someone experiencing a high dose of dopamine, her face could only be made by someone who was almost completely drunk.

"Amaizing! Brilliant! Ayanokouji Kiyotaka-san! Go on! State your guess! Let's play!"

What a crazy person. Her fate was now in my hand, but she was enjoying herself. I truly couldn't understand her. What was enjoyable about letting your opponent decide your destiny? Her friends sensed the danger and tried to make her stop. But unfortunately, they could no longer reason with her. She was really a gambling maniac.

"Very well. Then, Yumeko Jabami, I will now announce my victory." Having heard her name, the feelings and sensations she was going through couldn't be describe by words. It was an out of control happiness, accompanied with weird loud laughs. She must have realized that I suggested this game specifically because I knew who she was and what class she belonged to. Then her reason of acceptance could be that she was confident that I was bluffing—after all, none thought that I knew about the hidden class, her friends were no exception.

"The class you are in is....." I closed in and whispered the word in her ear. I didn't want those morons to know about the existence of a 5th class. That would be disadvantages to me. Upon hearing my guess, Jabami released one long final laugh.

"Hahaha! It's your win, Ayanokouji-san. Nino-san, you are free to go now."

Just then the rang of the bell notified us that lunch break was over. Hearing the signals, the group of 5, being as they were, were obliged to return to their class as well. They, too, had afternoon classes.

Seeing their dissatisfied faces, my classmates couldn't help but mock them on their way out.

The remaining periods went unusually quiet. Perhaps the damage was excessively big for them to recover now. But it will be fine after some time.

After the last period came to an end, I picked up my stuff and was about to leave the class. Just then, I was approached by a group of girls who looked exactly the same appearance-wise. But with enough observation and cold reading, I was easily able to identify them now.

"What's wrong?" It was most likely regarding the outsiders event. But just in case, I asked.

"Ah... Thank you for helping our sister!" They all bowed and said in union. Except for Nino who stayed behind them for some reason.

"No need to thank me. It's fine," I said. I was planning to launch my attack regardless of who the victim was. I just made it seem like I wanted to help.

"Nino, you have to thank him as well." Ichika urged her sister to do the same, but she appeared relucent.

"......Thank you."

"Any day." Just then, an announcement was made through the speakers. It was calling for a certain someone to head for the faculty room. And that certain someone was, unfortunately, none other than me.

I left the classroom after I was almost buried with questions, and made my way to specified location. Chabashira-sensei was waiting for me outside. As soon as she spotted me, she walked in the opposite direction and signaled for me to follow her. Curious, I asked her a couple of questions.

"The chairman is looking for you," she said. Now that was unexpected. There was no reason for such a thing, unless that old man got involved. But it was to early for that.

After walking in silence for a while, we reached the Chairman's office. Chabashira-sensei knocked on the door three times, and a voice of a man gave her the permission to enter. The inside was exactly as I imagined—it was a standard room just like any high class operative's.

"I brought Ayanokouji, sir."

"Thank you. You can go now."

With that, Chabashira-sensei left, leaving me with two individuals I didn't know. One was an old man sitting at the office, so I assumed he was the chairman Sakayanagi. The other seemed to be a young man, but he gave me his back, so I couldn't see his face.

"Sorry, but why am I here?"

"Why don't you sit down first? This will take sometime."

"I can't. I have someone I need to meet."

The chairman shouldn't have any reason to call me if it weren't related to my father. Not to mention, he wasn't alone. I couldn't help but be doubtful. However, he defied my hypothesis.

"Do not worry, this isn't about your father."

"....."

If that was the case, then I guess I have no idea what this is about. The other man, who was giving me his back all this time, was calmly looking out the window. That window was probably directed towards the exit of the school, so he was able to observe the students as they left. I assumed that he was probably informed about me, or else he would have reacted in a way. Perhaps the reason for calling me wasn't my own old man, but this person instead.

"I will like to ask you a few questions. Please, sit down." Having no other choice, I quietly sat down. "First of all, I am the president Sakayanagi—the chairman."

"And the father of a certain someone in class 1-A," I added, he simply smiled and nodded.

"What do you think, Ayanokouji-kun?" he asked.

"About what?"

"About this school."

That wasn't very specific, and left a lot of space for misinterpretation. It was difficult to tell what exactly he meant by that. Closing my eyes, I thought deeply and carefully about everything he could possibly mean. For starters, he was the chairman, he was asking me about my thoughts on his school, he called me here but not for my father, but for another reason instead. The timing of the call was also something to take into consideration.

I had only a few pieces of the puzzle, but that was more than enough.

"Pretty interesting to say the least."

"And why do you think so?"

"Misleading premise, hierarchy of classes, special exams, private points and class points, hidden classes—they certainly make this school interesting."

".... You even know about that, huh?"

I felt that he was surprised. It was pretty evident, too. He didn't even try to deny what I said. The other individual finally turned around. He was indeed a relatively young man, with a dark short hair and sharp black eyes. My first impression of him told me that he was a doctor.

"He really lived up to my expectations."

"Ayanokouji-kun, let me introduce this friend of mine. He is Dr. Nakano Marou. He is one of this school's biggest investors, and also one of my old friends."

While that last information seemed superfluous, it was helpful to know that he had that much power. Because I didn't miss a crucial thing.

"I see. Now I know why you called me now."

"Oh?" Both chairman Sakayanagi and his friend Nakano had the same reaction.

"I mean really, he has the same surname. Is this about his daughters?" Without much of a thought, I noted that he was most likely the quintuplets parent. They both confirmed my guess. They then went on explaining why they called me in details.

"So to summarize, you want me to 'tutor' them while they live here."

"Correct."

"And what do I get in return?" Naturally, this deal didn't interest me in the slightest. Not only do I have to carry 30 people to Class A, I also had to very specifically tutor—based on thier father's words—the most stupid 5 siblings in the world. Sounds like a troublesome thing to deal with, but if he knew anything about me, he wouldn't propose money or fame. He would most likely...

"Your freedom."

Bet on my freedom. Those were big words, even for him.

"My father is not someone to be taken lightly."

"I'm aware."

His confidence was impressive, but I didn't need uncertain promises. That's why I refused. They expected that, it seemed, so they tried to convince me that my freedom can be guaranteed if I accepted. But to no avail.

"It looks like it's a dead end. Let's try this another time." Dr. Nakano said so as he gave his goodbyes to Mr. Sakayanagi and left the office. That left me and him alone in the room.

"Ayanokouji-kun, I apologize for my sudden call, but I can't turn off a friend."

"It's alright. So, if that's all, I'll leave."

"Well.... Don't you have any questions?"

Questions. I did have a certain theories before, and it was the perfect chance to verify them.

My first question was regarding the experimental class, Class 1-E. According to my research with Fuuka, that class was designed as a test. My theory was that it was to check if people who are on the extreme end of the spectrum can perform well enough and overcome the challenges to graduate as Class A when gathered all in one place. I also had a theory about the ways the school decided the placement of the students on that spectrum—it was obvious that the written exam and the interview weren't enough. There was also a big question that I almost couldn't answer until recently. Why was I placed in class D? While that might have been normal if there were only 4 Classes, it was strange that I wasn't considered as one of the candidate for the experience. After much thoughts, the answer was simple; it was balance. The school decided that me and Kouenji were enough to rival all the other classes. And truthfully, they are undoubtedly correct.

When I stated my hypothesis and theories, Mr. Sakayanagi was left speechless. It must have been hard, for a child to deduce what they must have spent an enormous amount of time to develop. Honestly, I pitted him a little. All he could do was nod his head every time I spoke.

"You know, I may have started to regret this. I thought you were going to ask me, not the opposite."

He did his part and confirmed my deductions. That at least, I couldn't do on my own—not for free anyway.

I soon left and closed the door. I had no reason to rise to Class A, nor did I have a reason to help or rival anyone. I was free, free like a bird. Just like Lcarus, I had received my wings after being trapped for all my life time, and was able to finally fly into the clear sky.

For the remaining 3 years, I could do anything I want.

If wanted to rise to the top, I will.

And if I wanted to drag everyone down, I will.

■■■

The days went on quickly until a week has passed. I didn't hear anything new about Class E, except that they invaded other classes, too. Their identity was a mystery, and no one knew what class their where in. Despite that, they were the talk of the school.

"Good morning, Yamauchi!"

"Good morning, Ike!" Arriving to class, Ike wore a broad grin as he called out to Yamauchi. It was rather unusual for them to get here so early. It'd been one week since the entrance ceremony, and Ike and Yamauchi would always make it to class right before the bell rang.

"Whew, man! I was looking forward to today so much that I barely slept last night!"

"Ah ha ha! This school is just the best! I can't believe that it's almost time for swimming! And when I say swimming, I mean girls. And when I say girls, I mean girls in school swimsuits!" It was true that the swimming classes were co-ed. In other words, that meant that Kushida, the Nakano sisters, Esdeath and all of the other girls would be showing off a lot of skin.

The girls backed away from Ike and Yamauchi's rabid excitement. Fortunately, their conversation had ended—or that's what I thought.

"Hey, Professor! Come here for a sec!"

"Uh, you called?" A chubby boy, apparently nicknamed 'The Professor,' approached them slowly. His name was Sotomura. "Professor, can you record the girls wearing their swimsuits for us?" Ike asked.

"Leave it to me. I'll pretend to be sick so that I can skip class and observe."

"Wait, what? what are you planning?" Sudou asked. It would have been better if he didn't.

"The Professor is going to rank the girls' breast sizes for us. If we're lucky, he'll get some pictures with his phone."

"Hey, hey." Sudou visibly recoiled at Ike's plan. If the girls found out, the consequences would be severe. But it wasn't as if they hadn't already caught on. Their fate was sealed.

"You all do realize that everybody here heard that. Look around," I said as I pointed at the killing stares they were receiving from the girls. Sudou tried to step back, but it was too late. Both Ike and Sotomura instantly knew that it was game over, while Yamauchi tried to save himself by selling off his friends. He went on saying stuff like 'I tried to stop them' and 'It's their idea.'

"Disgusting."

"The worst."

"Perverts."

"Fools."

"Pathetic."

"Just die."

"Die already."

Curses were thrown at them from every corner, even with Hirata's and Kushida's help. They probably became the worst common enemies of all women. Despite the seriousness of the situation, I was glad that someone officially took the crown of the most hated person from my head. Although I felt a little sorry for Sudou, who was barely aware of their plan. There was only so much I could do.

"Those trio aside, I don't think it's right to badmouth Sudou. He was clearly in the dark." I voiced my opinion. Several people seemed to realize that it was unfair to blame him, but they couldn't voice their opinion. And before anyone could agree, someone shouted.

"Huh? Are you serious? Its only natural, they are all friends! Of course he must be involved, too!"

It was Shinohara Satsuki, one of my female classmates.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't study that kind of logic before. Because he is their friend, so he is involved? You do realize that's a fallacy, right?"

"... What?" She wasn't the only one who had question marks above their heads. I truly thought I used simple words.... hadn't I?

Guess I have to explain.

"It seems like you didn't understand me. Just because Sudou is their friend doesn't make him an accomplice in anything. The argument you just used is fallacy because the premise of your implication is wrong. 'He is friends with them, so he is involved.' For that preposition to be true, the statement 'friends are always involved,' has to be true as well. But it is not, is it?."

"...Ah? W-what the hell are you talking about?!"

"You still can't understand me? Then... how about this: The contrapositive of 'He is friends with them, so he is involved' is 'he isn't involved, so he is not their friend.' Can't you find a counter example; in other words, can't you imagine a situation where that preposition is wrong? Do you get what I mean now?"

"...Eh? N-no. I don't! Stop using fancy language and explain it simply!"

I didn't think logic was fancy, but most of the class seemed to share her opinion. In order to have a meaningful discussion, it's essential that both parties understand each other's points. I found myself obliged to simplify things even further.

"It's useless trying to reason with those people, Ayanokouji." I detected a hint of mockery in Kouenji's voice. I really wanted to tell him that he wasn't helping at all.

"Basically, what I mean is that Sudou may actually be innocent. You are just taking things way too personally. Try to calm down and think objectively."

"Too personally, you say?! Th-!"

"He is right. Try to calm down."

Unexpectedly, I received help from a very unusual individual.

"Nino-san, I was ju—"

"Calm down, Shinohara."

I no longer had any interest in saving Sudou. My new objective was evaluating the psych of the person who helped me, Nakano Nino. From my observations this week, she could be a very powerful tool to acquire. She was brave enough to go against an unknown group of people just for the sake of her family. While that might be seen as foolishness, one can't deny that demanded courage.

"It's easy for him to say that!" She screamed. It seemed like there was no way that she will listen even to one of her friends.

"True, he is not in our shoes. But you seem to have misunderstood."

Shinohara mistakenly thought that I was using her anger as a way to gain an advantage over her in our little argument. She understood that her personality didn't help her. But that was the furthest from the truth.

"He is not our enemy here. Those three are." She pointed at them. Nino had done an excellent job, compared to her past self, she indeed has improved.

"The little girl is absolutely right," Kouenji intervened. This time, in a more helpful way. "In this case, one can even treat him as a complete outsider and that wouldn't make a difference. Do you understand?"

"I'm just objectively talking. There is no reason to be angry at me, is there? If you can convince me that Sudou is indeed guilty, then I wouldn't say anything about it. But you have to try to calm down. You can't win by being loud. A cool head may help you." I added.

".... Then what about you? You are defending Sudou-kun just because you're also a guy. Where is your so-called objectivity, huh?"

I was slightly impressed. She really managed to calm down; even if it was just a bit. Looks like Nino managed to cast her spell. Yes, that what a leader is all about. Leaving her lack of logic aside, that was such an early character development. A welcomed gift indeed. But sadly, a good leader wouldn't let this matter escalate from the start.

"That's a better response, don't you think? But unfortunately, you're still wrong. I merely shared with you something I noticed. Whether you will decide to accept that or not isn't within my power."

I wasn't a god. Things like that were way out of my reach at the moment. I could use Hirata, Kushida, or even one the sisters, but it would still be pretty unlikely. If the circumstances were different, or if I had a friendly relationship with them, maybe then it would have been doable.

"I pointed at what you might not have seen because of the heat of the moment. That's only natural considering that the case at hand is rather uncomfortable for you. I understand that you girls hate being stared at. I really do. That's why I didn't try to defend those three since they obviously deserve it. Now, do you still think I wasn't being objective, everyone?"

Instead of addressing a specific person, my question was for the entire class.

"Yes, that's right. I'm with Nino, I think that's enough." Agreed Ichika.

"Sorry, Shinohara-san. I think Ayanokouji-kun is right," said Matsushita.

Seeing no objections, I turned to Shinohara once more. For a moment, she was just facing the ground. I couldn't see her expressions, but her hands were clenched tight.

"And you, Shinohara?" Nino asked.

".... No, I....I don't think so." Finally, she spoke. She couldn't win the argument alone now that all her friends remained silent and even the leader of her group agreed. At the very least, she realized that much.

Those words were barely heard by anyone but her friends. And although they seemed like a declaration of defeat, she still didn't come to terms with it yet. Taking her personality into account, even if things seemed fine now, she will most likely held a grudge against me if I stopped here.

I stood up and went towards her seat, which was in the center, and upstretched my hand for a handshake.

"So, is everything fine now?"

".... Yeah."

"If you still have doubts about my intentions, then how about you choose the punishment you see appropriate? And I promise I wouldn't intervene. I may even help. How is that?"

"Well...I.. Alright, I accept." She took my hand. I could hear Ike's and Yamauchi's cries in the background. Sudou seemed relieved, while Sotomura was saying some incomprehensible things. In the end, I managed to save one of them at least.

In the remaining time, the girls were suggesting numerous punishment, each one was worse then the rest. Every time they said something, the boys' faces lost a new color, only to brighten up again after Hirata and Kushida intervened. I found this whole thing interesting. I was never able to observe humans in their natural environment before, and this seemed like the perfect chance to do so.

After a few minutes, the bell rang and Chabashira-sensei entered the classroom right after, which was a signal for everybody to take their seats. The girls, even though they still had more ideas to suggest, obeyed nonetheless. The period went as usual, if one added the overwhelming annoyance of the girls.

However, there was something off about Chabashira-sensei, something I couldn't exactly point at. As soon as the period was over, she looked at me one final time and left. She was trying to warn me about something, but she couldn't tell me directly. And honestly, there was no need.

I was already aware of everything.

.

.

.

After launch, it was time for swim class. It was decided that it was for best if the trio didn't attend. And as one might expect, they didn't agree at first.

"Huh? You can't do that!"

"That's right! I was waiting for this the entire time!"

"Hey, you are making it worse! Yamauchi, just shut up for a sec!"

"What? me?! It was your damn idea to do that in the first place!"

"Huh?! No it wasn't! You even were the one who contacted the Professor for help!"

"Guys....!" Sotomura tried to stop them, but it was all in vain. Thier voices got louder with each phrase, and the girls began to rage again. In the end, I had to resolve things myself.

"You better listen. You have no choice."

"What did you say!!" Both of them screamed at me at the same time.

"If we complained to the school, don't think that the punishment will be gentle. Not attending is better than a suspension—or even an expulsion. Isn't that right?" Even if they probability of that was low, it was certainly possible. Even they should understand that after what happened a few days ago.

"Expulsion?! Now way! The school won't do that, right Ike?" .... Or maybe not.

".....Talk about yourself. I don't want to be expelled."

Ike and Sotomura agreed to the girls suggestion, but Yamauchi seemed to have a different opinion.

"Nonsense! What are you guys doing?! They can't complain without proof!"

Wow. Among all the possible moves, he chose that? What a disappointment. Did he not consider the almost 40 people here as witnesses? I really wondered where his confidence was coming from.

Someone took out his phone and increased the volume, and voices started playing.

"Ah ha ha! This school is just the best! I can't believe that it's almost time for swimming! And when I say swimming, I mean girls. And when I say girls, I mean girls in school swimsuits!"

"Hey, Professor! Come here for a sec!"

"Uh, you called?"

"Professor, can you record the girls wearing their swimsuits for us?"

"Leave it to me. I'll pretend to be sick so that I can skip class and observe."

"Wait, what? what are you planning?"

"The Professor is going to rank the girls' breast sizes for us. If we're lucky, he'll get some pictures with his phone."

When the voices died down, the owner of the recording came forward.

"Does this counts as a proof?"

And that person was nonother than me.

Mon Apr 1, 2024 / 8930 words.

─────────────────────────