Negotiation Breakdown

After listening to Chairman Itagaki's long-winded speech, the opening ceremony finally came to a smooth close. The first morning of school was over, and the afternoon would be free.

Most students chose to return to the dorms. The others headed to Keyaki Mall to pick up some necessities or splurge with their massive allowance of one hundred thousand Private Points.

Matsushita Chiaki invited Tenyo Yuyuki along, too. It was still the first day of school, and everyone was busy getting closer to one another and forming cliques.

That was why

the first get-together mattered so much.

But Tenyo Yuyuki smiled and turned her down. Once you were labeled as belonging to a certain clique, it was difficult to fit in with another group. At best, you could maintain a cordial relationship on the surface. The differences in warmth between people were real.

In all of D Class, only Hirata Yosuke and Kushida Kikyo were exceptions. Aside from their excellent social skills and good looks, they were also the type to put themselves in harm's way and selflessly devote themselves to the class.

Tenyo Yuyuki had no intention of wasting too much time on getting promoted to A Class, and he was even less willing to sacrifice his free time for those defective products.

Still,

he had exchanged contact information with most of his classmates and maintained a certain degree of closeness with them.

At that moment,

he was at Keyaki Mall.

The school had provided a full range of facilities: cafes, KTVs, movie theaters, restaurants, and clothing stores. You could find most of what you needed here.

Even if you wanted something more unusual, you could ask the school to purchase it for you, as long as you had enough Private Points.

Inside the Convenience Store.

Tenyo Yuyuki was picking out some household necessities, while Horikita Suzune followed behind in silence, choosing things she needed.

As soon as the opening ceremony ended, Horikita Suzune had quietly followed him without saying a word.

Tenyo Yuyuki naturally understood why.

Horikita was eager to learn about the school. She probably just didn't know how to bring it up.

Of course,

he wasn't in a hurry. Horikita Suzune was the one who ought to be.

So,

Tenyo Yuyuki didn't start a conversation either.

"What an unpleasant coincidence."

Horikita Suzune suddenly remarked coolly. Tenyo Yuyuki glanced back, and saw that Ayanokoji had somehow come up beside them.

"Don't be so on guard." Ayanokoji carried a shopping bag and glanced sideways at Tenyo Yuyuki. His voice held no inflection. "You two seem pretty close."

Horikita had been following right behind Tenyo, but they were still close enough that anyone could tell at a glance they were together.

It was only natural for him to ask.

He might have seemed a little stiff during his self-introduction, but Ayanokoji's remarkable abilities were already helping him adapt quickly to his new role as a high school student.

Or rather,

he had realized that high school students came in all sorts, and you could get away with acting however you liked.

Unfortunately,

even though he only wanted to live a peaceful life, the thought patterns instilled in him by the White Room made Ayanokoji instinctively absorb information from his surroundings. That way, he could always stay in a position of absolute safety and win in the end.

But actively socializing didn't fit the Avoidance Principle persona he had set for himself, so he had decided to start with Horikita, whom he had crossed paths with twice before.

In his estimation, Horikita might be sharp-tongued, but she was a good person. Otherwise, she wouldn't have initiated a conversation with him. Someone like Horikita generally wouldn't refuse to help if you had a good enough reason.

"Things between Suzune and me aren't as simple as you think, Ayanokoji." Tenyo Yuyuki spread his hands and sighed. "It's the curse of being popular."

"What a curse to envy."

Flippant, self-centered... Those were the first impressions that came to Ayanokoji's mind. Was Tenyo Yuyuki mocking him, or showing off?

But Ayanokoji quickly rejected his own theory.

During his introduction to the class, Tenyo Yuyuki had given off a much more straightforward, cheerful impression.

Flippant and straightforward might seem similar, but they made very different impressions. The former would only make girls dislike you, while the latter could actually be a plus in some situations.

A strange feeling stirred in Ayanokoji's heart.

Or was it

that Horikita and Tenyo were close enough to joke around so casually?

That also spoke to Tenyo Yuyuki's social skills. Ayanokoji didn't think he could have built such a strong relationship with Horikita in half a day.

But it depended on how Horikita responded. Her reply would help him judge Tenyo Yuyuki's true nature.

With different people,

Ayanokoji used different approaches.

Unfortunately,

Horikita had no intention of responding. She continued browsing the cheap items on the shelf.

Ayanokoji silently marked Tenyo Yuyuki as suspicious.

He thought he could see right through Horikita, and even most of the people at this school, but for now, he couldn't see through Tenyo Yuyuki.

Looking at the shampoo in Horikita's hand,

Ayanokoji casually glanced at its price tag and started another conversation. "Are you shopping? You have a hundred thousand Private Points. Wouldn't it be fine to buy something a little more expensive?"

"That's none of your business." Horikita didn't even look up as she continued coolly, "What are you doing here? If you have nothing to do, don't bother me."

"It's perfectly normal for a classmate to come over and say hello."

Ayanokoji calmly weathered Horikita's cold attitude.

Before Horikita could reply, Ayanokoji continued, "I heard people outside talking about D Class, defective products, and hell. I was a little worried."

"So you're looking for an answer from me?" Horikita immediately understood what he meant. She finally looked up at Ayanokoji. "Well, for someone like you, who has no friends, it's a pretty smart choice."

For someone who couldn't form normal relationships with people, thinking to come to her for answers was at least somewhat commendable.

Horikita brushed the hair away from her ear and analyzed the situation calmly. "If this school evaluates students' worth based on their abilities, then this can't be the end of it. Since you follow the Avoidance Principle, just focus on living your own life. But you should still be careful with your Private Points."

"I see. That puts my mind at ease."

Ayanokoji nodded woodenly in agreement.

That was probably the limit of what Horikita could analyze. It also looked like she hadn't even tried to gather basic information, and hadn't paid attention to what anyone else was saying!

Her perspective was too narrow!

Still,

you could tell Horikita had a meticulous mind and was a kind person.

Everyone in the world had to wear a mask in some way; it was only a matter of degree. Horikita Suzune, who was the same person inside and out, was the first person like that Ayanokoji had ever met. He wondered what she would be like once she grew up.

Ayanokoji couldn't help feeling curious.

But that wasn't what Ayanokoji wanted. He couldn't get information from anyone else, either. Should he try testing Chabashira-sensei?

Ayanokoji immediately dismissed the idea. It would be foolish to reveal his abilities so easily.

The White Room had taught them to display their abilities as much as possible—after all, doing nothing despite having ability was the most foolish thing you could do.

But when Ayanokoji's knowledge reached a certain level, he suddenly had a feeling.

Concealing One's Talent Is a Superior Ability!

The society visible to ordinary people was all just a superficial illusion. It was entirely possible that the wealthy were nothing but pawns put forward by others!

Unable to get the answer he wanted from Horikita, Ayanokoji turned his gaze to Tenyo Yuyuki.

"I've got everything I need. I'll be going."

Before Ayanokoji could say anything, Tenyo Yuyuki picked up his shopping bag and left the Convenience Store. Horikita Suzune quickly gathered her things and hurried after him.

"Just as expected of the White Room's only successful case."

Tenyo Yuyuki thought to himself, glancing at Ayanokoji, who was still standing there.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was unquestionably a true genius, and he had grown up in the White Room.

His unique way of thinking made him choose every word with extreme care when he spoke. You couldn't find any holes in what he said. It had become second nature to him.

Put simply,

Ayanokoji could ramble on and on without saying a damn thing. His words were all vague enough to be interpreted any way you liked.

It was almost impossible to find a flaw in anything Ayanokoji said.

At the same time,

in just one morning, Ayanokoji had already seen right through Horikita's nature.

He had guided the conversation the entire time. He didn't even need to ask questions; a few words about his unease were enough to take advantage of Horikita's kindness and get her to volunteer information.

"Still, this is what makes it interesting."

Tenyo Yuyuki couldn't help smiling.

Ayanokoji's heart was an iron wall, devoid of emotion. It was almost impossible to control someone like him!

But getting Ayanokoji to work for you wouldn't be difficult!

It all came down to

who was the more skilled player.