Classroom of the Elite, A Hypocritical Gray Life

"We just happened to have a few coincidental encounters, that's all."

Can you really call that just a few? It's been three months of non-stop, daily occurrences!

"...Then we shall ask for your help, for the sake of the trust Ayanokoji-kun has placed in you." After a long period of contemplation, Horikita finally reached a conclusion and agreed to cooperate with us.

"That would certainly be for the best, but I have one question I'd like to ask you beforehand."

"What is it?"

"If—and I mean if—the final truth is that the student in your class named Sudo is actually at fault, and it turns out not to be a false accusation, but rather we find absolute proof of his guilt. What will you do?"

"We will make him confess honestly. Because this lie will inevitably lead to retribution in the future."

"If that's the case, then I don't think there will be any problems between us. Then it's settled, uh—"

"My name is Horikita."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Horikita-san, and Ayanokoji-kun."

Chapter 25: The Sweltering Heat Clouds the Mind

"Regarding the fact that you have already found another witness..."

Perhaps because of Horikita's hostile attitude earlier, Ichinose assumed that the people from Class D had lied about this matter.

"It's true. The negotiation process went fairly smoothly, though that witness happens to be a member of our Class D."

"Ah, is there any physical evidence? If not, that would be a real pity."

"A pity? Isn't finding another witness a good thing?"

Upon hearing my words, Horikita gave me a silent, blank stare, while Ichinose smiled from the side and explained to me.

"While it is a good thing, if it's only verbal testimony without any physical evidence to back it up, it becomes quite troublesome to decide whether or not to use it in the judgment."

"Is witness testimony not enough?"

"It can be, but since someone from Class D is testifying for a member of their own class, the credibility will inevitably be somewhat compromised."

"I see..." I nodded as if enlightened, only to be met with another look of contempt. Or perhaps I'm overthinking it; Horikita's gaze has been like that from the very beginning.

"We should have physical evidence as well, though it might take a few days before it can be presented."

"I see... Regardless, we will still help search for witnesses and relevant clues. Even though the probability is extremely low, we will do our best. Also, if there is anything else you need help with, please don't hesitate to tell us."

The probability of other witnesses existing is zero.

Not only because of the tinted glass, but also because I am certain there were no signs of other human activity in the vicinity at that time.

"Come to think of it, you two are really going all out to protect your classmate. Sudo-kun is quite impressive, being able to become a substitute for the regular team already; he'll surely be able to earn a large amount of points later on."

"..."

Seeing that neither of them spoke, but instead looked at Ichinose with strange expressions, we began to panic.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"No... what did you mean by saying he would earn a large amount of points?"

"Eh, didn't your homeroom teacher mention it to you on the day of the club orientation? The school provides evaluations for clubs or charitable activities, and even if the performance isn't particularly outstanding, points are still distributed."

"That kind of thing is really... our homeroom teacher didn't mention a single word about it."

"Teacher Chabashira never seems to remind us about such details, just like the changes to the exam scope last time," Ayanokoji added from the side.

"Your homeroom teacher does seem a bit strange."

"She's the type of person who doesn't like her students, I suppose."

"That shouldn't be the case. In this school, the teachers' evaluations are determined by the graduating class. Our homeroom teacher, Teacher Hoshinomiya, often uses that to motivate us to study hard and insists that we must promote to Class A."

"We haven't heard of that either..."

"It seems your homeroom teacher might really have no such intention..."

Does such a teacher really exist? If that were the case, as long as I explained the situation, that teacher probably wouldn't keep calling me in for lectures about my grades.

Damn it, give me back my status as a genuine Class D student!

"Right, about the issue of contacting you."

As she spoke, Ichinose took a cute handkerchief embroidered with a panda pattern from her pocket to wipe the thin layer of sweat starting to form on her forehead. In a sweltering space without air conditioning, wearing thick uniforms only causes the body to lose moisture even more rapidly. At the same time, the longer one stays, the harder it becomes to maintain logical thinking.

And so, chaos brings more chaos.

"Ayanokoji has a pretty good relationship with this Raku-kun, so let's leave the contact matters to them."

"You aren't holding a grudge about that, are you?"

"I just find it strange that you would have a close friend in another class."

"I've put in the effort for it."

Wait, you don't mean to say that the twisted fate between us is the result of your efforts, do you? If that's really the case, Ayanokoji is a dangerous person who is worth paying attention to, but also someone I need to stay away from!

"...Let's talk about this later. Anyway, we should be heading back. We won't disturb you any further."

"Goodbye."

After saying our goodbyes, we parted ways with the two students from Class D.

"We need to tell everyone in the class about this, too... Raku-kun, do you think we should bring it up in the class group chat, or mention it during tomorrow morning's homeroom?"

"I think it would be more effective to talk about it in person; that way, we can respond to any questions immediately."

"Mm, I think so too. Let's head to the school cafeteria now."

"Wait, I recall our purpose for coming here was to observe the crime scene..."

"Ah, I would have forgotten that if you hadn't mentioned it, Raku-kun. But since the people from Class D have already surveyed it, I doubt we'd find anything new anyway..." As she spoke, Ichinose glanced casually around the area. "There are no security cameras that can record this spot."

"Otherwise, the school wouldn't have been struggling with this issue for so long."

"That's true... Let's hurry and leave; it's really hot in here." Ichinose wiped the sweat from her brow again.

Actually, your reason for coming here wasn't to survey the scene at all, was it...

"Alright... Could this handkerchief be a souvenir from the mall's latest event?" I pointed to the handkerchief Ichinose was clutching; the panda pattern on it looked very similar to the image Shiratori and the others had been discussing.

"Do you pay attention to the events held at Keyaki Mall too, Raku-kun?"

"No, I just happened to see it in a conversation within the boys' group chat."

"Boys talk about these things? No wonder Chihiro always says the boys in our class are so childish. Ah, no, please forget what I just said."

"If you want to target all the boys, Ichinose, please at least don't say it to my face. Even if you're trying to cover for your female classmates, please show me some consideration."

"I'm sorry, I wasn't talking about you, Raku. No, I didn't mean that you aren't a boy... Anyway, ugh—I'm sorry, my brain is a bit scrambled. Just don't take what I said to heart." While apologizing, Ichinose spread her fingers to use her hand as a fan to cool off, though it was futile and only generated more heat.

"Are you lightheaded from the stuffiness? Let's get out of here as soon as possible." I tried to quicken my pace.

"Speaking of handkerchiefs, does the one you have, Raku-kun, have any patterns on it?"

"My handkerchief? It's just a plain piece of fabric."

"Doesn't that feel a bit monotonous?"

"Handkerchiefs are meant to be practical, aren't they? Besides, I'm not a fan of having cluttered designs on pure colors."

"Don't you have anything you like, Raku-kun? If it were something of that sort, you wouldn't feel any aversion to it."

"Things I like... I'm not really sure, to be honest. After all, I've never come across a handkerchief with a pattern I liked, nor have I had the urge to get one custom-made."

"Hmm, I thought you might have a pattern on your handkerchief, Raku-kun. I couldn't see it clearly when you took it out last time."

"Last time?" I stopped my descent down the stairs and turned around, puzzled. "Come to think of it, how do you know I have a handkerchief on me? I don't recall ever taking it out in front of anyone."

"You can guess that much, can't you? Basically, everyone carries a handkerchief. And have you forgotten, Raku-kun? Last time at, ah—!"

At this point, Ichinose stopped abruptly and covered her mouth, her cheeks turning red at a visible rate due to the stifling heat of the special building.

"Are you okay? Did you twist your ankle?"

Facing her flustered expression, I stepped forward, intending to check if there were any signs of swelling on her ankle.

"No, I didn't hurt my foot, it's just... ah, let's hurry up and go; it's really too hot here." Before she could finish her sentence, Ichinose covered her mouth and ran away from me, blushing as she headed toward the exit.

What was that? Mumbling incoherently—did she bite her tongue?

Or have I been disliked?

Besides, when exactly did I use my handkerchief in plain sight of everyone? Clearly, I hadn't...

Could it be that she saw it back on the bus! It's a good thing I didn't do anything weird with that handkerchief at the time.

Chapter 26: The Inevitable Interaction Between Students

The first-year students occupy a school building all to themselves, housing both boys and girls. This isn't just the case for first-years; it's the same for all grade levels. Add to that the dormitories allocated for teachers and staff working in areas like Keyaki Mall, and there are a total of four buildings within the school grounds.

The reason I am emphasizing this detail is to interpret the profound significance hidden behind it.

The segregation of grade levels can be understood as a way to ensure that exams between grades do not interfere with one another. At the same time, placing all students of the same grade together is intended to foster interaction between classes, developing various possibilities—not just involving the hostility generated by class competition, but also creating necessary connections.

As for proof, Ayanokoji and I are living examples.

"You even considered the option of waking up early..."

Although I had previously used the "curse" of waking up early to avoid running into Ayanokoji, those times could only be called fine-tuning—minor adjustments at best. Today was completely different; compared to the usual times, today felt like a leap from the third dimension into the fourth.

Yet, even so, I still couldn't escape the curse on my body.

"Is there no way to avoid this even now?"

"Of all the days to choose, you had to wake up early today."

"Aren't you the same as me?"

"I didn't intend to, but I made a promise to a classmate and had no choice but to wake up early."

That's right. After determining our policy for cooperation that day, our Class B moved quickly to take action regarding this incident. Of course, not every student participated; only those who were interested joined in, and no one was forced.

Everything was done voluntarily by everyone, so I didn't care about the threats from Ichinose and Kanzaki. Then, I was assigned to the poster-making group where Kanzaki was, and since no one else had the ability, I "voluntarily" took on the responsibility.

That's right, I have always been a warm-hearted, kind man; whenever a classmate needs help, I will lend a hand. Provided that I am doing it voluntarily, of course.

"Is it my imagination? I feel like you're about to turn dark at any moment. Are you okay?"

"Please don't mind it; I'm just struggling with my own inner self."

"Although I know you might be a bit annoyed, there's no need to be like this. If you're under a lot of mental stress, I suggest you go see the school counselor. Books say that prolonged endurance can incite feelings of anxiety, which in turn leads to persecutory behavior."

"It's not that dark, is it?"

"Actually, I've always felt that the aura you give off is quite oppressive..."

"...As expected, as a person, I'm just too terrible, aren't I?"

"...Let's change the subject. Have you guys made any progress on clues regarding this incident?"

So it really is true—

"If you haven't received a text message from Ichinose, then we probably haven't discovered anything yet."

"Aren't you guys acting together?"

"Different students have different plans, so you could say we've split into groups, but overall, we're still together. For instance, in my group, Kanzaki is the one receiving information."

"Can I know what your group's plan is?"

"It's not really a plan; I imagine you'll find out by tomorrow anyway."

"Is that so... Come to think of it, the teamwork in Class B is truly impressive. Is there a secret to it? Inside Class D, we're practically like a pile of loose sand."

"A secret? I wouldn't call it a secret. I can only say it's thanks to Ichinose... If I had to say, this is probably the superiority of the class representative system."

"The class representative system?" Ayanokoji seemed to have the intention of digging into the activities our class conducts spontaneously, but the opening of the elevator doors exposed our figures to the girl's field of vision.

"Good morning, Ayanokoji-kun and... eh, eh, eh, Raku-kun?! Why did you leave the dormitory so early today!"

"That's really rude. Everyone has times when they are forced to wake up early, don't they?"

"But no matter how you put it, this is the first time I've seen Raku-kun wake up this early... Also, does Ayanokoji-kun usually wake up at this time? I don't think I've ever run into you."

"No, I usually wake up quite late on weekdays. Today, I just woke up early specifically to escape the curse of fate."