Classroom of the Elite, A Hypocritical Gray Life

The temperature had already reached a point where even standing still in the shade would make one sweat involuntarily.

The next few days were only going to get hotter, and things would likely become even more chaotic as a result.

"Hmm, you two did this, right?"

After changing into his indoor shoes at the lockers, Ayanokoji noticed a notice posted on the bulletin board at the landing of the staircase not far from the shoe cabinets.

"Yeah, didn't I tell you that you'd find out in a few days? You could call this the result of our group's efforts."

"The contact person listed above is..."

"That's the leader of my group, Kanzaki. He'll forward any messages he receives to me, but my inbox is currently empty."

"Your ability to take action is truly surprising. Thank you very much."

"I'll be sure to pass your gratitude along to Kanzaki."

"Did you not participate in making the notice?"

"I did, of course, but I didn't contribute much..."

Haha, I only showed up for the final viewing; making the notice was much simpler than I had imagined.

"Good morning! Raku, and Ayanokoji-kun!"

Just as we were admiring Kanzaki's masterpiece, Ichinose arrived at the school.

"What are you looking at? Whoa, is this the result of what Raku-kun has been researching for the past few days?"

"It was Kanzaki's work. I was just there to help out with the grunt work."

"I see. I ended up forgetting about Kanzaki-kun without realizing it." Ichinose scratched her cheek in embarrassment.

How could someone with such a strong presence be forgotten? He was our class's vice representative, after all.

"Oh, perfect timing. Kanzaki-kun, over here!"

Those who have ties to me always seem to follow the path of coincidence. Kanzaki happened to be in the hallway, glancing at the clock on the wall.

"Did something happen?"

"Nothing at all. I just happened to see your group's results and wanted to confirm them, and it turns out someone from Class D is here too. Ayanokoji-kun, this is Kanzaki-kun."

The two of them then exchanged some casual pleasantries.

"Ayanokoji-kun, you're here because of the news, right? But I haven't received any useful leads on my end. The messages being sent to me are basically all spam."

"I see... Today is the last day, isn't it? I just happened to come by to check the bulletin board as well."

"Did you make a notice too, Ichinose?"

"No, I'm talking about the bulletin board on the school's official website. The school's homepage has the highest traffic of any site known to the students here. So, I posted a request for help there."

With that, Ichinose displayed the announcement she had posted.

She had attached a point reward while explaining the relevant details.

For some reason, seeing this notice made me suddenly recall the scam text messages I received on my phone in the days before school started.

Human society really is far too treacherous.

"A point reward... isn't the price you're paying for this a bit too high for Class B?"

"This was our own decision, so please don't worry too much about it. Besides, aren't we in a cooperative relationship? Oh, there's a message."

As soon as Ichinose finished her last sentence, the three of us immediately turned our attention to the message. After a quick read, we learned that Ishizaki from Class C had been a gang member who was very good at fighting back in middle school.

If we wanted to request further proof, we would need to provide the corresponding points.

"In other words, if Ishizaki and his two friends really did get into a fight with Sudo, then that victim from Class D wouldn't have walked away unscathed either."

"What do you think, Raku?"

"About the same as Kanzaki."

"If Ishizaki is still the same as he was in middle school, then their actions this time only make sense if someone was pulling the strings from behind the scenes. But even so, the fact that it was a one-sided assault cannot be erased."

"Yeah, even if we get corroboration for this information, they could still use the excuse that they've turned over a new leaf to smooth things over. It's still going to be very difficult to win... Is your class's preparation going smoothly?"

"It's hard to say right now. Horikita-san is basically the one controlling the situation."

"This matter really is quite tricky, isn't it? If only there were more solid proof left on the internet. For now, we have no choice but to pay the points and secure this intelligence first."

Transparent channels would only appear pale and weak; it was the dirty methods that would ultimately gain the upper hand.

But unfortunately, we students of Class B have always only known how to fight fair and square.

"That... the other party seems to want an anonymous payment... does anyone know how to do that?"

Even though the students in her own class had already paid Ichinose anonymously countless times, she still didn't know how to do it herself in the end.

"I'll teach you. Consider it a small return for the help your class has provided." Ayanokoji immediately responded to Ichinose's request.

"Sorry for the trouble."

"Since they want an anonymous payment, the other party must have given you their email address, right?"

"They did, but it's one of those free email accounts you find on the internet. Will that be a problem?"

"That will be enough. First, open the transfer screen and check your ID number."

"Mm—"

I had intended to just watch them finish the operation, but it wasn't until I saw their bodies gradually drawing closer that I realized the gravity of the situation. Before Ichinose could react, I pulled her into my arms. This action left Ayanokoji stunned, while Kanzaki wore an expression that suggested he was unfazed.

"Waaah—! Raku, Raku-kun?"

Feeling the soft, fragrant scent from the girl in my arms, paired with the visible speed at which Ichinose's cheeks turned red, I felt a secret thrill of satisfaction at my plan succeeding.

However, there were still too many flaws, such as my sense of possessiveness. Anyone could tell that I didn't possess a strong desire to claim her.

"Let me handle it."

Hearing my reply, Ayanokoji furrowed his brow slightly before a look of realization dawned on him.

"I see. So you and Ichinose have that kind of relationship. My apologies for the intrusion."

"Eh—" Just as Ichinose was about to let out a confused sound, I pretended to be very intimate and kneaded the flesh of her cheek.

It was very soft.

"I won't disturb you two any further. As for the information, if you could send it to me later, I will pass it on to Horikita."

"Much appreciated." I nodded to acknowledge him, and then Ayanokoji left the scene.

"So, you two really have confirmed your relationship?" After Ayanokoji left, Kanzaki said in a tone that suggested he had expected as much.

At this moment, Ichinose was looking at me nervously in my arms, feeling completely at a loss.

"Sorry for the offense just now. This was merely a legal necessity for emergency avoidance." I apologized to Ichinose and then continued to explain.

"Emergency avoidance is—"

"Open the transfer screen."

"Hm?"

"Once you open the transfer screen, Ichinose, you'll understand." If this was a class strategy, then even sacrificing a bit of myself was worth it to protect her.

After I let her go, Ichinose remained in a daze for a while, only taking action under Kanzaki's urging gaze.

"Ah." Ichinose let out a soft exclamation.

"I see..."

We don't know the full extent of the S System in this school, but it is currently known that S Points are a crucial component. After learning this, our class formulated a "slush fund" strategy, gathering points from students into the account of our class representative, Ichinose, for unified management. The rest of the students are only allowed to keep thirty thousand points for living expenses.

"I'm impressed you were able to think of this."

"It was just a coincidence. Speaking of points, I just remembered that our class seems to have some kind of related operational plan."

"Still, your 'emergency avoidance' behavior just now really shocked me."

"Sorry, it was just a last resort."

"No, it's fine. I don't mind." Ichinose hurriedly waved her hands and said.

"Tch, there's not much time left... I have some personal matters to attend to, so I'll leave the transfer to you." Kanzaki glanced at the clock on the wall and then hurried away.

"Sorry for my rude behavior just now."

"I, didn't I already forgive you just now... Um, besides the transfer issue, I wanted to ask Raku-kun something else..."

"What is it?"

"That, about what was said during the rehearsal last time... Raku-kun was just joking, right?"

"Yes, if it caused you any dissatisfaction, I apologize again."

"No, it didn't... I was just a little concerned... Ah, it's nothing, anyway, let's continue."

Chapter 32: A Rash Decision?

[The following nine traits are enough to forge a loser.]

I mentioned before that I have very few friends in class, but our relationships are quite close. We often gather in our rooms, and the theme of each gathering varies. For instance, my room is used for chatting and snacking, while Okabe's room is used for entertainment like video games.

Not long ago, I received an invitation to gather at Okabe's room. I weighed the options in my mind for a long time before deciding to go. Naturally, by the time I arrived, I had already lost the eligibility for the first game. Later, they asked if I wanted to join in, but they complained that my thinking was too tedious, so they just ignored me.

When everyone was hanging out and chatting, I could only try my best to listen rather than be a speaker, because I was afraid that my ideas and handling of people would be refuted.

Having experienced many things, I am convinced of one thing: my abilities are not enough to connect me to the "male shared network," and even the student network seems like a stretch.

See, I really am quite pathetic, aren't I?

If those things were fine, then how would one explain the following examples?

The time I got lost, I ambitiously devised a plan to map out the entire facility's routes, yet it lasted only three minutes before I was defeated by the heat of the weather, and I gave up halfway in despair.

Kanzaki always says that I look for excuses to cover up the fact that I am weak, and that I am terrified of facing setbacks, which is why I am timid in everything I do.

Additionally, Teacher Hoshinomiya often drags me in for lectures, saying that I don't like to study.

Indecisiveness, three-minute enthusiasm, fear of rejection, self-limitation, escapism, absurd excuses, refusal to learn, fear of things, and as for the last one—procrastination—that goes without saying. It is the common ailment of laziness for every energy-conservationist.

"...Looking at it this way, I've hit all nine traits of a loser."

"Raku-kun isn't as bad as you say you are." Ichinose had appeared behind me at some point, watching the article pushed by the browser with me, and after hearing my muttering, she puffed out her cheeks in protest.

"In other words, I don't even have any self-awareness, which makes me even more pathetic, doesn't it?"

"That's not true at all!"

Just then, Kanzaki let out a deep sigh. "Honestly, sometimes you really impress me. You're willing to talk yourself down like that just to save a bit of energy. It's just waiting for a result; is it really necessary to go that far?"

"Tsk." I clicked my tongue and put an end to my 'self-deprecation.'

Today was the day the meeting was held, and we were well aware of the content: the theoretical discussion and the final verdict regarding the fighting incident.

What with it being twilight, the hour of the demon. Why did I have to be spacing out in the classroom today just like any other day? Fate is truly unfair to me.

"I'm just saying that even if I went, I wouldn't be able to help. The results and all that are decided by the Student Council anyway."

"You can't say that for sure. Raku-kun always ends up helping in unexpected ways. Just like with the point transfer yesterday."

"That was just that one time, wasn't it? I can't even get a word in during our usual strategies."

"That's not true. There are many other aspects where that's the case; it's just that Raku keeps hiding it."

"...Why does it feel like you're calling me a thief?"

"Besides, as a witness, aren't you curious about the outcome of this meeting, Raku?"

"Isn't Ayanokoji involved in it? I can just ask him later."

"Hmm, other than the fact that you find everything too troublesome, Raku-kun is great in every other way."

"I appreciate the compliment, Ichinose."

"That wasn't a compliment!"

"Ichinose-san, your words are no different from a compliment to Raku-kun, and a high-level one at that."

"How could that be? I was clearly being very harsh."

"So that counts as harsh..." Hearing Ichinose's reply, Kanzaki looked a bit wounded as he leaned against the tree.