Uesugi Gen's Mouth Is Full of Lies

Ichinose said, "Though I have many friends and serve in Class B, there are still heroes in this world I have yet to meet."

Uesugi Gen said, "Even if I've never met them, I've heard their names."

Ichinose said, "Katsuragi Kohei of Class A has ample personal wealth, conducts himself steadily, and knows when to advance or retreat. Would you call him a hero?"

Uesugi Gen threw his head back and laughed. "Katsuragi Kohei is too focused on defense and too weak on offense. He's rigid and inflexible, and his underlings are mostly arrogant fools. He's nothing but a walking corpse in his tomb. Sooner or later, I'll capture him."

At that moment, a bald man sitting beside Uesugi Gen paused when he heard this, then hurriedly held back the lackey beside him who was about to seek revenge. Afterward, he continued eating as if nothing had happened.

His words were a little harsh, but what Uesugi Gen said seemed mostly right. Besides, he wanted to hear what Uesugi thought of Sakayanagi.

Then—

Ichinose said, "Sakayanagi Arisu of Class A is the daughter of a school board member. Her family has many former officials in its circle, and she now rules over Kōiku like a tiger in its den. She has many capable people under her command and is exceptionally clever. Would you call her a hero?"

Uesugi Gen laughed. "Sakayanagi Arisu is fond of scheming, but physically weak. She looks down on her subordinates and disregards their wishes. In the end, she'll lose the hearts of the people of Class A and be abandoned by those around her. She's no hero."

Miss Kamuro, Sakayanagi's lackey, was eating nearby. Her face expressionless, she nodded again and again. He made a lot of sense. And honestly, couldn't Sakayanagi get her comeuppance already?

Ichinose pondered for a long while, then said, "There's a man in Class C named Kakeru, whose reputation shakes his entire class. All his subordinates are delinquents. Would you call Ryuen Kakeru a hero?"

Uesugi Gen replied, "Ryuen Kakeru is ruthless and has no bottom line. He likes to win through dirty tricks, but in the end, he'll reap what he sows. He's no hero."

A red-haired delinquent leader sitting behind Uesugi Gen had veins bulging on his forehead.

All right, you bastard Uesugi Gen. Last time, you played dirty and set me up, leaving me to freeze behind the gym all night. I nearly caught a cold.

Damn it! Now you're turning around and saying I have no bottom line? Do you have no shame?

Ichinose said, "There's a gentle man who currently leads Class D. Hirata Yosuke—would you call him a hero?"

Uesugi Gen said disdainfully, "Hirata Yosuke is soft-hearted. He's no hero."

Hirata Yosuke, sitting by the window, gave a wry smile.

Ichinose continued, "Horikita Suzune of Class D is beautiful, learned, and exceptionally skilled. Would you call her a hero?"

Uesugi Gen said, "Horikita may be the younger sister of the Student Council President, but she's strong-willed and decisive, with the spirit of a man. She's far too proud and refuses to work with others. She has no subordinates she can trust. How could she possibly deserve to be called a hero?"

Horikita's fists clenched.

He'd given everyone else a simple assessment, so why was he sneaking in personal insults when it came to her? What did he mean by "strong-willed and decisive, with the spirit of a man"? Wasn't that just calling her a tomboy?

She couldn't take it. She'd message him and demand an explanation later.

Finally—

Ichinose said, "What about the likes of Kushida Kikyo, Koenji Rokusuke, and Kanzaki Ryuji?"

Uesugi Gen clapped and laughed. "They're all mediocre nobodies. Why even mention them?"

Kushida, sitting beside Horikita, wore an awkward but polite smile. In the blink of an eye, her expression turned gloomy.

All right, you just wait. I'll call and harass you later. We're supposed to be on the same side, yet you gave me the shortest assessment of all. You wrote a whole 48 characters less about me than you did about that bitch Horikita!!!

Koenji Rokusuke went on enjoying his lavish meal, as though other people were beneath his notice.

No one could define my beauty, because I... am beauty itself.

However—

The others didn't dare lay a hand on Uesugi Gen, but Kanzaki Ryuji from the neighboring class wasn't about to let him get away with it. He stood and started toward Uesugi Gen's table.

The other classes were one thing, but he was in Class B. What did Uesugi mean by calling them mediocre nobodies? Without him, Uesugi would still be holed up in the dorm playing games.

Of course—

There was nothing wrong with playing games, but being Class B's vice class representative would open up a much wider world.

"Kanzaki, Kanzaki, calm down. He just got a little carried away. He'll be fine in a moment. Ichinose is right there, and she'll definitely protect him. You won't get to him."

Shibata Hayate hurriedly lowered his voice, stood up, and tried to stop him.

Ichinose said, "Other than those, I don't know anyone."

Uesugi Gen laughed again. "A hero is one who harbors great ambitions and has clever plans in his heart, one with the cunning to encompass the universe and the resolve to swallow heaven and earth."

Ichinose asked curiously, "Who could fit that description?"

Uesugi Gen pointed at Ichinose, then at himself. "The heroes of this world today are you, my lord, and me!"

Ichinose was so startled that the knife and fork in her hands slipped to the floor.

"..."

Everyone present was laughing in anger.

After all that, this guy had spent the whole time putting everyone else down just to build himself up.

Enough was enough. There was no need to hold back anymore.

"You've gone too far, Uesugi Gen, you bastard! I've put up with you long enough."

Ryuen Kakeru, sitting nearby, slammed the table and stood up, then stormed over to Uesugi Gen with his lackeys.

Uesugi Gen glanced at Ryuen Kakeru.

"What? It's just you, Two-Shot. What do you want?"

Ryuen Kakeru sneered. "I'm not like those losers. They get insulted to their faces and don't dare talk back. I'm Ryuen Kakeru. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth—that's how I do things."

So, right after Uesugi Gen, Ryuen Kakeru fired off a sweeping AOE insult at the entire room, successfully taking some of the heat off Uesugi Gen.

Damn it, I can't take this anymore!

After hearing Ryuen's words, the students from Classes A and D glared at him and got to their feet, heading this way.

"Ryuen, eavesdropping is rude. I know you haven't read many books, so I'll forgive you this time."

Uesugi Gen waved a hand magnanimously, indicating that Ryuen could leave.

"..."

What kind of upside-down logic was that—blaming the victim and acting as if he'd been wronged? If Ryuen Kakeru didn't know another Special Exam was coming up, he would've strangled the bastard on the spot.

"Talk like that all you want, but in the end, the truth comes out in a fight."

A steady voice cut in. Katsuragi Kohei looked at Uesugi Gen.

"You're Uesugi Gen, the Vice President of the Student Council, right? You're a mysterious person. But mystery or not, Class A is a top-ranked class. We won't lose to you."

"That's exactly what I was going to say. Just watch. I'll defeat you in the coming Special Exams and climb my way up to Class A."

Horikita Suzune rubbed her arm in an unnatural manner and proudly proclaimed her ambition to everyone.

After hearing Class A and Class D make their declarations, Ryuen Kakeru refused to be outdone. He held out his hand, thrust his thumb sharply downward, and faced the room.

"You, Horikita Suzune, and Katsuragi Kohei of Class A—"

Ryuen Kakeru paused, his voice full of gritted teeth.

"And that bastard Uesugi, you'd better all keep your necks clean and ready. I'll crush every one of you."

Seeing this, Uesugi Gen's eyes lit up.

Oh, this is fun. They're all making threats. I want to do it too.

"You lot—ugh!"

Ichinose clapped a hand over Uesugi Gen's mouth.

"Uesugi-kun, let's go back. Don't say anything else."

"Mmph?"

"Mm!!!"

Ignoring Uesugi Gen's struggles, everyone from Class B dragged him away.

If they didn't get him out of there, this place would soon turn into a classroom where the strong ruled.

Uesugi's Words Can't Be Trusted

Uesugi: [Hey, I saw you earlier and you seemed a little off. Are you feeling unwell?]

Horikita: [That's none of your business. I just have a bit of a cold. Also, what did you mean by that thing you said earlier? You called me a tomboy!]

Uesugi: [Don't get hung up on the details. If you're sick, you should see a doctor.]

Horikita: [This kind of cold will go away on its own if I rest in my room. I'm not someone who likes wasting time on leisure, either.]

Uesugi: [But... the Special Exam is coming up soon. If you collapse, Class D will be out of the running, right? (laughs)]

Horikita: [??? What do you mean by that? Explain yourself! Hey!]

Uesugi: [After making such bold declarations like Ryuen and the others, you still haven't figured anything out? (trying not to laugh)]

Horikita: [Tell me about the Special Exam!]

Uesugi: Read, no reply.

Horikita: [Hey! Uesugi Gen, answer me!]

Uesugi: Read, no reply.

As the messages kept pouring in, an amused smile appeared on Uesugi Gen's face.

Miss Horikita could be so stubbornly cute about this. At first, she'd been so aloof, acting as if nothing bothered her.

Oh, here it comes.

A sudden, urgent ringtone sounded. Unable to wait for a reply from Uesugi Gen, Horikita Suzune had called him herself.

If the Accomplice Lady saw this, she'd be so jealous she'd cry.

Uesugi Gen didn't answer right away. He decided to let it ring a little longer.

You're always the one leaving other people hanging. Now you're getting impatient, huh?

The phone rang for another ten seconds or so before Uesugi Gen leisurely tapped the answer button, then quickly held the phone away from his ear.

"Hey, Uesugi Gen, which dorm are you in? I'm coming to find you now!"

Horikita Suzune's urgent voice came through the phone.

Uesugi Gen was a little exasperated. Why was this girl so stubborn?

"Miss Horikita, if you're sick, you shouldn't be running around. Be a good girl and listen to me: go see a doctor or stay in your dorm and rest. Those were your own words."

"How could I possibly rest at a time like this? What do I have to promise you for you to tell me the details?"

"Why are you so stubborn? If you collapse, given the current state of your Class D, the Special Exam might as well be over. Why not get yourself back in shape before taking part?"

"You wouldn't understand. I have to—"

"If you keep this up, I'll call your brother directly."

Uesugi Gen brought out his trump card, a weapon specifically designed to counter Horikita Suzune.

"I... I understand. I'll go back to my dorm and rest. You... you mustn't tell my older brother about this."

Horikita Suzune's voice came through the phone, reluctant and faintly humiliated.

Uesugi Gen scratched his head. Why did it sound like he was bullying her? If he sent this conversation to the Accomplice Lady, she'd probably fly right over.

"N-no, don't go back to your dorm and rest. Go straight to the doctor and get medicine. Take it as soon as you get it, then find somewhere to hide and sneak into the Special Exam venue. Got it?"

"I understand. I'll do what you said. The information about the exam..."

"There's no information. If you don't agree, I'll tell your brother directly. What can you do about it?"

"You... you don't keep your word!"

"Huh? Miss Horikita, what made you think I'd tell you about the Special Exam? Our classes are rivals."

"You—"

"Anyway, that's that. Go see a doctor right now. Over and out!"

Uesugi Gen hung up with a swish and let out a long breath.