In Classroom of the Elite, but in the Underworld Chapter 12

If she hadn't reacted in time, she didn't even want to imagine what would have happened next.

Eito stood up and said:

"Sorry, I couldn't help it."

"Forget it," Kikyo sighed.

Thinking about it from another perspective, if she had gone that far and he still hadn't reacted at all, that would have been truly pathetic.

"Let's keep this between the two of us as a secret, Eito. You absolutely cannot tell anyone else, or else I'll have to..."

Kikyo extended her fist and gestured in front of him.

"Mm."

"Hehe, just kidding~" Kikyo winked at him. "Let's go. As compensation, treat me to dinner, okay?"

"Of course."

Dinner ended smoothly.

However, Eito's mind wasn't on the meal.

He had spent half the day trying to figure out what exactly Kikyo was trying to do.

In the end, he simply stopped thinking about it.

Sometimes overthinking is useless; people often do many things without any underlying motive.

Getting too obsessed with conspiracy theories only leads one into a labyrinth from which they cannot escape.

And even if Kikyo really did have some scheme, he didn't need to worry.

His trump cards were enough to deal with most tactics.

Thinking this, he drifted peacefully into dreamland.

Chapter 15: The Mastermind

Since that day, the number of times Kikyo came to find him had decreased, and she wasn't as aggressive when speaking to Suzune as she used to be.

Perhaps she wanted to slowly break down Suzune's defenses, like water wearing away stone.

Furthermore, after that day, the two of them never had such intimate interactions again.

Their usual communication was very natural, as if what happened that day didn't exist, which made Eito wonder if that day had just been a dream.

Or perhaps this was some alternative form of neglect play?

Although Kikyo sought him out less, he was being pestered by someone else.

Even though it was a guy.

He had arrived.

With a sleazy face and a swaggering gait, he was a walking punchline.

After reaching him, his arrogant demeanor vanished instantly, and he knelt down directly:

"Lord Takeda, please, let me off the hook, wuu wuu!"

"Yamauchi, you're still alive."

"I'm dying."

His face didn't have the confidence it had at the start of the school year; there was a pale, hollow look to it that made his already ugly face look even uglier.

Eito knew the reason. Ever since Yamauchi lost the bet during the swimming class, he had tried to welch on it and kept trying to talk to Kikyo.

Coincidentally, Eito would run into him every time and stop him in his tracks.

Yamauchi was naturally unwilling to accept this, but he was hindered by Eito's line: "You wouldn't want Kikyo to find out you're a man who doesn't keep his word, would you?"

Wanting to maintain his image, Yamauchi had endured until now.

Of course, he had begged Eito several times during this period, but he had been rejected every time.

And this time.

"Wuu wuu... I'm really dying... If I can't smell little Kikyo's scent, I can't go on living!"

"Then go ahead and die. I've never seen a dead person in all my life; why don't you put on a performance for me?"

"Takeda, are you even human! As classmates, how can you bear to watch me die?" Yamauchi slapped the floor in anger and glared at him.

"Who's the one not being human? I heard you were badmouthing me in the group chat a few days ago, saying I'm a playboy who likes to toy with women, and that I've slept with ten thousand bitches. I haven't even settled that score with you yet."

Fortunately, since the person spreading the rumors was Yamauchi, no one believed his nonsense.

"No, that wasn't me. Ike took my phone and typed that."

"Ike is truly pitiful, being sold out by you so quickly."

"Anyway, it has nothing to do with me!" Yamauchi said stubbornly.

There was no point in continuing this conversation. Eito thought for a moment and said:

"I can allow you to talk to Kikyo, but you have to do me a favor."

"What is it? What is it?" As soon as he heard he could talk to Kikyo, he immediately perked up.

"I need you to investigate the situation in Class C. If there's any movement, tell me immediately."

"Eh? Investigate? What's that? It sounds like something really high-level." Yamauchi's eyes widened, glowing with excitement.

"It just means eavesdropping on their conversations and reporting back to me."

"Uh... won't I get caught?"

Eito couldn't help but smack him on the head.

"Why would you get caught? I'm not asking you to sneak into their rooms to listen."

"Oh, oh, I get it." Yamauchi nodded foolishly, then looked at him with a hint of worship. "Takeda, are you a secret agent? Can you teach me? I could use that trick to pick up girls."

"Pick up your **"

Eito took a deep breath and said calmly, "Remember, if you get exposed, never mention my name."

"Why?"

"Actually—" Eito put on a serious expression and lowered his voice. "Actually, I am a top-secret agent belonging to the Government Supervision Bureau. I came to this school to investigate something. If you expose my identity, we're both finished. It won't be as simple as expulsion; you might end up in prison for the rest of your life."

To intimidate Yamauchi, he picked up a stone from the ground and crushed it into fragments with one hand while Yamauchi watched, wide-eyed.

"Believe me now?"

"So, Takeda, you..." Yamauchi stared at him blankly. "I'm sorry, it was all my fault before. I won't dare to badmouth you ever again. I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

Yamauchi kept kowtowing on the ground.

"It's fine." Eito helped him up by the shoulders. "I never really thought of you as a person anyway."

"Eh?"

"Uh, I mean I didn't think of you as an ordinary person. I think you have the most potential in this class. Work hard for me, and once you graduate, I'll buy you a villa directly. From then on, whether it's luxury cars or beautiful women, you can take your pick."

"Re... really?" Yamauchi's eyes widened, unable to believe such a good thing could fall into his lap.

"Of course. But to get the benefits, you have to pay a price. This school isn't as simple as you think. You must be careful at all times. I can help you solve ordinary trouble, but if you run into something truly irreversible, even I can't help you."

"I... I understand."

In the face of huge benefits, even the calmest person cannot resist temptation, let alone Yamauchi.

At this moment, he was likely daydreaming about a life of luxury after graduation.

Thinking of all that, even Kikyo was pushed to the back of his mind.

"I'm sorry, I won't dare to pester little... Kushida-san anymore. From now on, you're my big brother, and she's my sister-in-law!"

"Sister-in-law..." Eito frowned slightly.

"Uh, did I say it wrong? Is it... mistress?"

"Fine..." Eito said, feeling relieved. "Don't be so arrogant in the future. Even with me as your backer, you must learn to keep a low profile. Only when others can't see your cards are you the strongest."

"Yes, I definitely will."

Looking at the excited Yamauchi in front of him, Eito didn't know if he had actually listened to a word, but it didn't matter.

It's been boring lately anyway; might as well find something fun to do.

Chapter 16: I Understand

Horikita Suzune is a straightforward person.

She never masks herself, nor does she ever hide who she is.

When she says she hates you, she definitely hates you. When she says you're an idiot, then in her eyes, you are definitely an idiot.

It is very difficult for someone like this to survive in the real world because the truth is often unpleasant. If you say everything out loud, you will offend more and more people, bring more and more trouble upon yourself, and one day, you might be framed by someone who dislikes you.

Fortunately, this is a 2D world.

However, her straightforward personality is still disliked by many.

Yet, Eito likes communicating with Suzune.

First of all, he doesn't need to use his brain. That kind of scheming and deceitful interaction is too energy-consuming; you always have to guess the meaning behind the other person's words and summarize how to speak so as not to hurt them.

With Suzune, that is completely unnecessary. She expresses her dislike completely and clearly; Eito doesn't need to guess to know how much she hates him.

Secondly, Suzune is a decisive girl. Her way of expressing disgust is very direct—either a compass, a hand-chop, or mental attacks. She never engages in the despicable behavior of stabbing people in the back.

Finally, she is a beautiful girl. This is very important.

"So Horikita, what do you think of Kikyo?"

"I hate her." Suzune stated her conclusion without blinking.

"Why do you hate her?"

"I hate people who try to become friends with others without permission."

"Fair enough." Since that was the case, he had nothing more to say.

So he took the opportunity to ask, "Then do you hate me?"

"..." Suzune stopped her pen, stared at him for two seconds, and then returned her gaze to her book. "I don't know."

Very good, he had made progress.

He had gone from being hated at the start to being an unknown.

In other words, he had been promoted from the status of an enemy to a stranger; the next step would be an acquaintance, then a friend, then a lover, and finally a wife.

How joyous, how joyous indeed.

At this moment, Suzune suddenly stopped writing, placed her pen on the desk, and asked:

"Why aren't you hanging out with her anymore? Did you get dumped?"

"Well..." Eito hesitated for a moment. "Do you want to hear the truth?"

"Of course I want the truth."

"Actually, it's like this..."

Eito briefly explained what had happened that day, omitting some actions that might have made Suzune think he was a pervert.

"So you came to chat with me?" Suzune's beautiful eyebrows furrowed. "As a substitute?"

"No, you've misunderstood." Eito explained, "There might be a tiny bit of that, but the most important thing is that I wanted to clear my head here with you."

"Clear your head how?"