The wind in winter night is very cold.
In the shadow on the back of Dormitory Building, the snow is thicker than elsewhere.
There is no direct illumination from street lights here, only a faint light from the distance, which barely outlines the huge and depressing outline of the building.
Kiriyama Ikuto stood under the wall. This was the fifth time he raised his wrist to look at his watch.
"... Tsk."
He couldn't help but let out an anxious smacking sound, which sounded particularly harsh in the silent air.
Is that guy lost or is he playing tricks on him?
Although former president Horikita Manabu spoke highly of the new student named Kazehara Tetsu, he even regarded him as a variable.
But from Kiriyama's point of view, he is just a newcomer who has just entered school and has not seen real cruel methods.
Even if you are a little clever, how can you make waves in this school that is completely controlled by Miyabi Nagumo?
Maybe he didn't plan to come at all.
Maybe the calmness on the phone just now was just a bluff.
The cold penetrated into the soles of the feet along the soles of the shoes, and Kiriyama Ikuto felt that his toes were starting to feel a little numb.
This physical discomfort aggravated his inner uneasiness and doubts.
"Damn..."
He cursed under his breath and turned to leave.
This meaningless waiting has no value other than making him feel like a fool.
However.
The moment he turned around.
"Are you in such a hurry to leave, Vice President?"
A dull voice, even a bit unbeatable, sounded behind him without any warning.
"!"
Kiriyama Ikuto's pupils shrank suddenly, and his heart seemed to skip a beat.
He turned his head sharply.
I saw a figure slowly walking out of the shadows not far from him.
Kazehara Tetsu put his hands in his coat pockets, and there was no Scarf around his neck, but the collar was raised.
"You..."
"When did you come?"
"Just arrived."
Kazehara Tetsu shrugged and did not explain how he managed to walk silently on such snow-covered ground.
He walked to a place only two meters away from Kiriyama and stopped, and did not get closer, maintaining a social distance that allowed for conversation.
"Stop Waste of Time greetings, Kiriyama Vice President."
Kazehara Tetsu yawned and even squeezed out some physiological tears from the corners of his eyes.
"This is Wind Gap, it's really cold. And as I said on the phone, I'm very sleepy."
"Let's get straight to the point."
Faced with this attitude of not taking his Senpai seriously at all, Kiriyama Ikuto's forehead twitched.
But he also knew that now was not the time to put on airs.
"Huh..."
Kiriyama took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.
"As you know."
His voice was very low, with a heaviness that had been suppressed for a long time.
"Miyabi Nagumo and I... that is, the current Student Council President, actually don't have any dealings with each other. Or to put it more directly, his temper and philosophy between me and him are completely inconsistent."
When speaking of the name "Nagumo", Kiriyama did not hide the disgust in his tone.
"When I joined Student Council, I didn't do it to be someone's follower, let alone that boring power game."
He raised his head, with a hint of reminiscence and longing in his eyes.
"I wanted to join that organization because I admired Horikita Senpai..."
"Although Horikita President's management method is strict, it is an order based on justice. That is the tradition that This School is most proud of."
"But Nagumo... that guy is a madman."
"Although I really want to prevent him from taking office as the next Student Council President, and even want to pull him from that position. But..."
Kiriyama clenched his fists and dug his nails deeply into his palms. The feeling of powerlessness made him feel suffocated.
"That's impossible."
"Whether it's connections or means...Miyabi Nagumo now has built a high wall that I can't even overcome."
"This is... beyond my capabilities."
Admitting one's own incompetence is a huge shame for a person who was once the leader of Class B.
But in front of this first-year freshman, Kiriyama had to tear open this layer of scars.
Because only his frankness and weakness can prove his sincerity in seeking cooperation.
Kazehara Tetsu listened quietly, the expression on his face did not fluctuate.
He was not surprised by this information.
"Indeed." Kazehara Tetsu nodded.
"As far as I know, Miyabi Nagumo's power in Second Year Rule seems to have reached some kind of 'terrifying' level."
He turned his head slightly and looked at Kiriyama.
"I heard... that he has pulled all the second-grade classes into his own camp? Whether it is the original Class A or other classes, now everyone seems to be following his lead."
"In this case..."
Kazehara Tetsu The corner of his mouth curled up with a hint of irony.
"Do you, the so-called 'opposition', really have any room for maneuver? Or are you just making a last ditch effort?"
This question is very acute.
Kiriyama Ikuto was silent for a moment.
"... No way."
He squeezed out these words through his teeth, his voice dry.
"In this system, those who obey will prosper, and those who go against the flow will perish."
"Of course..."
Kiriyama seems to want to save some face for the second grade, or to find some psychological comfort for himself.
"There must be many students who dislike him in their hearts. After all, no one can really like the way he treats people as disposable items."
He smiled bitterly, his smile full of helplessness.
"But... dissatisfaction is still dissatisfaction, but it is not enough to oppose it."
"Because the price of opposition is too high. Expulsion, Lian Si... no one dares to gamble with their own future."
"So, everyone thinks... the only option is to give up."
"Since you can't resist, then close your eyes, cover your ears, and... obey Nagumo."
"This is what it is. This is what it's like in second grade."
Kazehara Tetsu showed no sympathy or immediate alliance.
"In that case, wouldn't it be better to remain silent like this?"
"As long as you are obedient, even if you are a dog, Miyabi Nagumo will not treat you Vice President badly, right?"
"Then..."
Kazehara Tetsu's voice became a little tempting.
"Just hang out like this until graduation, or try to collect Twenty Million Personal Points in the process. As long as you have that Points, wouldn't it be enough to directly purchase the transfer qualification and go to Class A?"
"This is the safest and most rational approach, right?"
"Why do you have to risk Expulsion to become enemies with that Dictator who is at the height of his power?"
"Kiriyama Senpai, you are smart Akito. You should know better than me about this simple weighing of pros and cons."
This is more than just advice.
This is a temptation.
Hearing the words "Twenty million Points", Kiriyama Ikuto suddenly raised his head.
There was a flash of anger in his eyes.
That is the anger after being misunderstood and slighted.
"Stop joking!"
"Do you think I'm in it for that?"
"If it was just to fuck Class A, I would have kneeled down and licked Nagumo! With my position, it is not difficult to get some benefits!"
Kiriyama took a step forward and approached Kazehara Tetsu.
"That's not the problem!"
"The problem is... that guy Miyabi Nagumo is destroying the foundation of This School!"
"He is reforming tradition."
"He wants to turn the order established by Horikita Manabu into a chaotic Colosseum!"
"If he is allowed to continue his misbehavior... the tradition of This School will be completely lost."
"Knowing that if we continue like this, we will lose This School's most precious thing..."
"But there's nothing I can do."
"I can only stand aside like a coward and watch him do whatever he wants."
"The humiliation... the pain of watching something you longed for be destroyed..."
Kiriyama stared into Kazehara Tetsu's eyes.
"Can you understand?"
"This... sense of hopelessness and hopelessness!"
This is his last cry.
This was also the fundamental reason why he found this first-year student late at night.
Kazehara Tetsu looked at Senpai, whose chest was heaving violently due to excitement.
There was silence for two seconds.
"That's it."
"Are you a so-called... 'martyr'?"