In Classroom of the Elite, Ichinose You Will Regret It

Uesugi Gen stroked his chin, watching the back of Suzune as she walked away with great interest.

Finally, Uesugi Gen turned to face Horikita Manabu, "Now, it's time to talk about our business."

Chapter 32 Do You Like This Class?

Looking at the exterior, which was no different from any ordinary classroom, Shibata asked curiously, "Is this the activity room you applied for from the school, Uesugi?"

"That's right!"

Uesugi Gen crossed his arms and said with a straight face, "I begged the director for this with tears and snot, and from now on, this room will be our base of operations."

"And finally,"

Uesugi Gen added with feigned indignation, as if remembering something, "Don't you dare tell Ichinose about this."

This was a secret little base he had gone to great lengths to secure; if Ichinose found out about it only a few days after he got it, he wouldn't be able to live with himself.

After speaking, Uesugi Gen twisted the doorknob and opened the door. The full view of the classroom came into everyone's sight.

In a room spacious enough to accommodate 40 people, the curtains were drawn tightly, blocking out every ray of sunlight.

An L-shaped arrangement of high-end sofas sat in one corner of the room, fronted by a coffee table that clearly looked expensive. Next to that was a massive screen covering the entire wall, suitable for gaming and movies. On the other side were neatly arranged computers, with several handheld gaming consoles scattered across the desk.

"Such luxurious facilities—it's obvious this cost a lot of points."

Kanzaki said leisurely from the side, "Uesugi, are you sure you aren't the director's son or something?"

Uesugi Gen gave a light cough, "Don't worry about the details. Like I said, I begged Director Sakayanagi for this with tears and snot."

Though he had been a bit unhappy at the time, he noted.

Uesugi Gen added that silently to himself.

However, there were more important things to deal with right now.

"Back to the point, find a seat quickly. We have serious matters to discuss."

Uesugi Gen turned his head to signal everyone to sit down.

That's right, "everyone" referred to the few people who had initially raised their hands to support him when he proposed the Manjian Qifa plan at the beginning of the month.

This was one of the reasons why Uesugi Gen had decided to announce the plan in class—to filter out the talent he wanted.

Although the plan had failed, it wasn't without its gains; selecting those from the 40 students who weren't so opposed to his methods meant they would be his future core team.

Hamaguchi Tetsuya, Moriyama Susumu, Ando Sayo...

These people were the pillars of support he needed to become the leader of Class B in the future.

"Uesugi-kun, is there something we couldn't discuss in the classroom? Why did you have to bring us here?"

One of them asked with a strange tone.

Uesugi Gen scanned the newly joined classmates, Then, sitting on the sofa to the side, he crossed his hands near his chin and said with a serious tone, "The reason I brought you here today is simple: let's discuss... the future path of Class B."

As soon as these words were spoken, Kanzaki Ryuji and the others immediately guessed what Uesugi Gen was trying to do; they knew he wouldn't just let things rest.

"This... shouldn't we be discussing this with Ichinose? We just need to follow in her footsteps."

Moriyama Susumu scratched his head and said somewhat awkwardly.

"No, we cannot tell Ichinose about this."

Uesugi Gen said coldly, "You saw what happened last time. Ichinose is too soft-hearted; she can't truly bring herself to fight ruthlessly against other classes, and the rest of the class shares that same mentality."

"I admit, her personal ability is strong, but in class competition, having ability alone isn't enough. Other classes won't follow any rules of fair play. If she can't bring herself to play dirty or strike hard, it will put our class at a disadvantage from the very start."

After Uesugi Gen said this, everyone lowered their heads in silence.

Based on their understanding of Ichinose, what Uesugi Gen said was an undeniable fact.

"Therefore, I need your assistance to help us rise to Class A during the special exams, using our own methods, all while keeping it hidden from Ichinose."

"..."

The activity room fell into a unanimous silence, and no one dared to break the quiet.

Keep it a secret... from Ichinose?

Watching the reactions of the group, Uesugi Gen continued to speak calmly, "This isn't a betrayal of the class, nor is it a betrayal of Ichinose. It is simply adding an insurance policy of our own to the class competition. Even if Ichinose fails on her end, we will still be here as a safety net."

"However, in exchange, my methods certainly won't be as gentle as Ichinose's. Kindness to the enemy is cruelty to oneself; we must be more ruthless than our enemies to defeat them."

Uesugi Gen's words echoed in their ears, sinking deep into their hearts.

Finally, one of them gathered the courage to ask Uesugi Gen, "Uesugi-kun, may we know why you are doing this?"

Indeed, why?

In truth, everyone in Class B knew that graduating from Class A held no real appeal for someone with the extraordinary talents of Uesugi Gen.

A prestigious school was nothing more than something he could obtain with a flick of his wrist.

As for a career, there wasn't a single Japanese person who didn't know what the Uesugi Zaibatsu meant.

So why, then, go to such lengths?

Uesugi Gen did not answer. Instead, he stood up from his seat, walked to the window, and slowly pulled back a sliver of the curtain.

This was near Class B, and if one looked closely, they could see the students of Class B coming and going, chatting and playing with one another.

Uesugi Gen gazed at this peaceful scene and asked them softly, "Tell me, I have a question for you: do you like this class?"

The group gathered behind Uesugi Gen, looking through the gap at the students of Class B.

Someone spoke up, "Of course I love it. As for why, I can't really say, but I just feel that if I missed out on a class like this, I might regret it for the rest of my life."

"Is that so? I like it very much, too."

"Compared to playing mind games with people in other classes, I feel much more at ease leaving my back to people I trust. Isn't it nice to have such a harmonious atmosphere?"

"They have never asked me to do anything, so naturally, I cannot ask them to harden their hearts and expel students from other classes."

"Therefore, compared to other classes, this one is truly the most suitable for me."

Finally, Uesugi Gen made a firm declaration, "I will absolutely lead our class to graduate as Class A, no matter what methods I have to use."

Uesugi Gen turned around and looked at them, "Will you come with me?"

"I, Uesugi Gen, formally invite you to join this club and shoulder the darkness and the future of Class B together with me."

With that, Uesugi Gen extended a hand, issuing his invitation to the group.

"..."

Kanzaki Ryuji and Shibata Hayate exchanged a glance and, without a word, reached out their hands simultaneously.

"No choice, I suppose, since you were the first friend I made at this school."

"Honestly, compared to Ichinose's philosophy, I actually agree with yours more."

A fair, delicate hand was extended, and Himeno Yuki turned her head away, saying tsundere-style, "Don't get the wrong idea, I'm not supporting you. I'm just doing this to prevent you from making such reckless decisions like you did last time."

The remaining few were silent for a moment before extending their hands one by one.

"Actually, I don't like Uesugi-kun's radical methods either, but for the sake of Class B, I'm willing to give it a try."

"It can't be helped. Since we were assigned to the same class, we have no choice but to work hard together."

"If you've all joined, wouldn't I look heartless if I didn't?"

Watching the many hands intertwined together, Uesugi Gen curled his lips into a smile and announced loudly, "Then, from today on, we are a club."

"Oh!!!"

Everyone cheered together.

After some time, the enthusiasm in the activity room gradually faded.

Hamaguchi Tetsuya, sitting on the opposite side of the sofa, asked curiously, "Uesugi, since we've established this organization, it needs a name, right?"

"Hmm~ that does seem to be the case. Do you have any good suggestions?"

Uesugi Gen scratched his head; suffering from a difficulty in naming things, he decided to listen to everyone's opinions.

"Me, me, me!"

Shibata Hayate raised his hand excitedly and immediately said, "Root, how about that? Moving silently in the darkness, providing nutrients for the great tree in silence—doesn't it sound perfect?"

"No way, absolutely no way."

The moment he heard that name, Uesugi Gen felt as if he had sensed a will from the great universe, and with black lines appearing on his forehead, he stated, "My intuition tells me that if I choose this name, I, as the leader, will inevitably end up carrying a very heavy scapegoat."

"Sigh, doesn't this name sound cool?"

Shibata Hayate said in disappointment.

Afterward, everyone suggested various names, but they were all rejected for one reason or another.

In the end, everyone had no choice but to use the most direct naming method to name the organization, "Then, as of today, the Uesugi-gumi is officially established."

"Oh!!!"

Uesugi Gen Observation Diary

On the weekend, After confirming the location of her target, it didn't take long for Kamuro Masumi to take action.

It was absolutely not because she wanted to catch that damn bastard early that she came to Uesugi Gen's dormitory to stake out at the crack of dawn.

As for why she didn't go to monitor Ichinose, who was the class representative, but instead came to the dormitory downstairs to monitor Uesugi Gen, the vice-representative of Class B.

One could only say that even Kamuro Masumi believed that Ichinose was an upright and honest person, and it was hard to imagine her doing something like threatening people.