The four first-year classes could roughly be divided into the following four types.
Sakayanagi's pawns.
Ichinose's harem.
Ryuen's empire.
And Ayanokouji's toolbox.
The former Class B had rallied around Ichinose. Whenever anyone ran into trouble, their first instinct was to seek her out.
If it was something genuinely difficult, asking Ichinose for help was understandable.
But asking her to tutor fifteen people in the class at once was just too much.
She was the class leader, not a cram-school teacher.
"Dokuho, you think Ichinose is having a hard time too, don't you?"
Seeing the boy's expression, Yuki Himeno continued, "If we keep asking Ichinose for help, I'm afraid we'll end up crushing her."
Ichinose already had plenty on her plate.
If they put even more pressure on her, she might really reach her limit.
That was what Yuki Himeno thought.
At that, Dokuho Kouya smiled faintly. "That's exactly why you should give Honami a proper scolding, Yuki."
Hearing him, Yuki Himeno's eyes widened in surprise. "I should scold Ichinose?"
Ichinose was the class's most popular girl and everyone's friend.
Yuki Himeno had friends in the class too, but they were closer to Ichinose.
If she scolded Ichinose, wouldn't she become the enemy of the whole class?
Even Dokuho, the class's biggest nonconformist, rarely went against Ichinose. There was no way Yuki would.
"Honami is an excellent leader. If you're willing to share your thoughts with her in private, I think she'd be happy to hear them," Dokuho Kouya said.
The class's strength was how united it was.
Its weakness was that it relied too much on Honami Ichinose.
Even Ryuji Kanzaki, who seemed quite independent, appeared to see himself as nothing more than a supporting player. If Honami Ichinose said to go east, he'd never go west.
"There's nothing wrong with a class following its leader's direction, but it's dangerous if there isn't even the slightest hint of dissent."
Dokuho Kouya looked at the girl beside him. "I think you could offer Honami some good advice, Yuki. You could help the class get back on the right track if it starts heading down the wrong path."
Yuki Himeno shrank back and said timidly, "But... I'm scared."
Going against the most popular girl in the class was practically asking for trouble.
At another school, she might even get bullied for it.
"Then talk to Honami in private," Dokuho Kouya said again. "The class needs your help."
"If it's just that... I guess I can."
Yuki Himeno nodded softly.
If they spoke in private, Honami Ichinose would never tell anyone.
Though Yuki didn't think she could make a difference to the class, changing things as they were would benefit her too.
Dokuho-kun was right. She should give Ichinose some advice now and then.
At that thought, the girl's expression turned odd. "Dokuho-kun, you're putting on an act too, aren't you?"
Dokuho Kouya raised an eyebrow, his eyes glinting. "What makes you say that?"
Having someone see through his act wasn't something he couldn't accept.
If he played it right, he could even use the fact that he'd been pretending to leave a deeper impression on the audience and earn more popularity points.
Just like Kikyo Kushida.
Though many people disliked her two-faced nature, plenty of others liked that side of her.
Even Dokuho Kouya had enjoyed seeing Kikyo Kushida reveal her true colors when he watched the anime.
He'd long expected that one day someone would see through the persona he'd cultivated. He just hadn't expected Yuki Himeno to be the one.
"Dokuho-kun said you wouldn't get involved with class matters anymore. But now that you see the class might be heading in the wrong direction, you want me to put them back on track."
Yuki Himeno teased him. "Doesn't that mean you care about the class too?"
That was it?
Dokuho Kouya was a little disappointed by the girl's answer, but he kept up the act. "I have my reasons too."
He hadn't said so much to Yuki Himeno today just because he wanted her to help the class.
Dokuho Kouya had only been hoping to trigger a special event with the girl.
Yuki Himeno was at least a named character in the original work, and she'd even had an illustration.
On top of that, her personality was completely different from the other former Class B students.
So Dokuho Kouya had thought he might trigger a special event with her and gain popularity points.
But unfortunately, even after talking with Yuki Himeno for quite a while, the system still hadn't reacted.
It seemed his plan to trigger a special event with Yuki Himeno had fallen through.
Just as Dokuho Kouya was regretting the failure of his plan, white comments suddenly appeared before his eyes.
"So the student council president is Horikita's brother"
"They have the same last name, so obviously they're siblings"
"Looks like these two aren't on good terms. The brother's been scolding his sister the whole time"
"Suzune's so cute when she's scared of her brother"
"Anime little sisters are the best!"
"At this moment, Ayanokouji is spying on them"
Seeing the comments, Dokuho Kouya was taken aback.
Had he really stumbled across the scene where President Horikita picked on his little sister?
And unlike in the original, Ayanokouji hadn't stepped in. He'd chosen to observe from the sidelines instead.
Well, that fit his reclusive persona.
Dokuho Kouya opened the system and watched what was happening through the anime's point of view.
The camera was focused on the Horikita siblings, Manabu and Suzune.
But the next moment, the camera shifted and turned toward Dokuho Kouya.
"Is this telling me to step in and save Horikita Suzune?" Dokuho Kouya realized the purpose of the camera's placement.
"Money Brother!"
"The boss has arrived! (#Mischievous)"
"Dokuho-kun, what's wrong?"
Seeing the boy's expression turn serious, Yuki Himeno asked curiously.
"New girl character!"
"Twintails? She's definitely a tsundere"
"Don't stereotype. Not every girl with twintails is a tsundere"
"Then name one twintailed girl who isn't a tsundere"
"..."
"Something seems to be happening up ahead," Dokuho Kouya said gravely.
Yuki Himeno listened carefully. "It sounds like two people are arguing?"
"Let's go see."
"Okay."
Dokuho Kouya and Yuki Himeno ran toward the scene.
Meanwhile.
Manabu Horikita shoved his younger sister against the wall and pinned her arm in place with one hand, a cold glint in his eyes.
"Brother, don't..."
Horikita Suzune had lost her usual bravado. She shut her eyes in fear.
"Suzune, you haven't changed at all over all these years."
Seeing his sister act so pathetically, Manabu Horikita felt disappointed. He raised his other arm, palm aimed at the girl's abdomen.
Just as he was about to bring it down, a forceful hand seized his arm, leaving him unable to move it even an inch.
Then a boy's voice rang out from behind him.
"President Horikita, I may be a little late, and I don't know the whole story—"
"But from what I just heard, are you trying to assault Suzune?"
Dokuho Kouya had arrived just in time. He grabbed the student council president's arm and spoke with an easy smile.
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