Classroom of the Elite, A Hypocritical Gray Life

"Why is that the first thing you say when you see me?"

"Isn't it because of that matter? Let me think... I've already heard the whole story from Kanzaki, and I personally handed the surveillance footage and such over to Horikita."

"Mhm, mhm." Ichinose pursed her lips and nodded with a smile, which made me realize that I still hadn't grasped the root of the issue.

"...Sorry, I really can't think of anything else. So, what exactly did you want to ask, Ichinose?"

"I haven't even said anything yet, so why is Raku-kun so certain that I'm here to ask a question?"

Because you've been doing these things constantly. But then again, if it were just these trivial matters, there would be no need for Ichinose to go out of her way to visit me for a private chat.

Have I been selected by the state for a top-secret mission?!

"I just wanted to chat with Raku-kun for a while."

"Chat... things like that could be handled over the phone, right? Was it necessary to come all the way down here?"

"The feeling you get from online communication and face-to-face conversation is completely different, you know. Besides, it's not really a special visit; I happened to be coming back from outside and thought I'd stop by to see you... What's wrong? Is it inconvenient inside?"

"It's not exactly inconvenient..."

"If it's going to be a bother, then forget it. There's no need to force yourself."

A man and a woman alone in a room, and the woman happens to be a super beautiful girl with a sweet appearance and a gentle personality—how could a beast like me miss such a good opportunity?

"It's no bother, and I don't have anything else going on. Since you want to chat, you might as well come in."

"Then I'll be intruding."

"The dorm doesn't have much to offer for guests. I have tea and coffee, though. Does Ichinose want any?"

"Warm water is fine. Drinking tea or coffee at night will affect my sleep."

Ichinose stepped generously over the threshold—if you could even call it that—and sat down on the sofa as if she had arrived at her own home. I poured two glasses of warm water and sat down beside her.

"Does Ichinose want to talk about what happened at the deliberation today?"

"Actually, a little bit of everything, no matter what it is... But mostly about the dispute. Even though the incident has come to an end, there are too many things hidden beneath the surface."

"Are those recordings and point threats real? They sound somewhat unrealistic to me."

"They're real. I was at the scene at the time. When I heard Ryuen reveal the recording, I felt a chill run down my spine. To have planted someone in Class C in such a short time, and to have recorded such an important conversation... no matter how I think about it, it feels terrifying."

"I heard from Kanzaki that it was a student from Class D who did it. Is that how it is?"

"I'm not sure either, at least that's what Ryuen said. He said it was absolutely impossible for someone like that to appear in our class..."

I've been completely underestimated.

"The distribution of the classes is clearly not as simple as the teachers introduced. Setting aside that mysterious person, the strength of Horikita's Class D alone is not to be taken lightly. You should be careful in the future... By the way, does Raku-kun know anyone in Class C?"

"That's impossible no matter how you look at it. Class C has wreaked havoc on us so many times; dealing with vipers is not a good choice."

"They were just being threatened by Ryuen. That person is truly too evil!"

"Maybe."

I'm not one to judge who is evil or not.

"But isn't Raku-kun's social circle a bit too small? You don't know anyone in Class A or Class C, only two or three in Class D, and even in your own classroom, the number of people you're familiar with can be counted on one hand... I'm not wrong about that, am I?"

"Completely correct."

"Hmm, and the room, too. It's exactly the same as when school just started. It doesn't even feel like someone lives here."

"Isn't that a bit too harsh of a way to put it?"

"But that is the reality, isn't it? Haven't you thought about buying some decorations? Like a potted plant or some photos?"

"I don't have that habit. Even if I bought those things, I probably wouldn't pay any attention to them. Besides, it's easier to clean this way."

"You mean it's refreshing and tidy? That's true... But doesn't Raku feel like it's too cold and desolate?"

"Cold and desolate..."

Does it really feel that cold and desolate?

I glanced around the empty room. Aside from a few novels placed on the corner of the desk, there wasn't a single item that could barely be called an 'ornament.' It seems my room really is quite empty.

When it comes down to it, calling those few books ornaments is a bit of a stretch.

No matter what, the phrase "I'm already used to it" is always correct.

Chapter 44: The Reality Carried by Lies

Rousseau, a pioneer of thought during the 18th-century French Revolution and one of the representatives of the Enlightenment.

His theories had a profound impact on future generations. The tradition of bourgeois liberal democracy was established, and his distinct democratic ideology influenced many writers. His ideas also directly led to 19th-century European Romantic literature. Great figures like Goethe and Hugo called themselves his disciples.

A figure of such influence left a deep imprint on my memory. There is a quote of his that I still keep in my mind to this day.

--There are two kinds of lies, one is about the past, the other is about the future.

Translated, it means: There are two kinds of lies; one is a factual lie about the past, and the other is a lie of right regarding the future.

Where do "white lies" even come from?

Being gentle to others? Burying the truth beneath the eyes of the world?

Ultimately, it is all in service of one's own interests, for that is the very essence of how lies are born, and this is a society built upon profit. A lie is a small dose of sin added to the foundation of society before the trend even begins, and from that moment on, life becomes a continuous drama of creating and seeing through deceptions.

By now, lying has become a refined art form.

From the very first lie, humanity falls into a sweet poison that knows no rest. The rot and decay of reality require layers of slime to plug the gaps. The success of one lie requires the burial of ten truths. The shame of a single shattered lie is likewise compounded a hundredfold.

Lying, as a subject of refined art. A successful deceiver is one who can exert the greatest influence with the smallest amount of lies. And the most successful deceiver is one who lives their entire life as the lie they have created, until, at that point, they themselves become reality.

"There are no lies within me, because I am reality."

0

Seeing that I did not answer the question directly, Ichinose changed her line of attack.

"Did you just take a shower? Your hair is still wet."

"I was washing up about ten minutes ago."

"Didn't you buy a hair dryer?"

"No. When I was at the convenience store, I thought I was staying at a hotel that would have one in the bathroom, so I forgot. Later, I realized I didn't really have a need for one, so I just went without."

"But what if you want to sleep while your hair is still wet? Sleeping with wet hair for a long time will make you sick."

"That won't happen. Besides, I always wait for my hair to dry properly."

"It would be better to buy one. After all, points are meant to be used. Raku-kun, you should really change this lazy—"

"By the way, did something happen when Ayanokoji suddenly ran out of the Special Building this afternoon?" I really didn't want to continue with this excruciatingly awkward daily conversation, so I interrupted Ichinose and forcibly changed the subject.

"Ah, if you hadn't mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten. This matter concerns another witness from Class D. Do you know her, Raku-kun?"

"I wouldn't say I know her, but I believe her name is Sakura Airi, right?"

"Mhm. Let me tell you, she's actually an idol."

"A celebrity?"

"An internet idol. Raku-kun, lend me your phone for a second."

I didn't think too much about it; I unlocked my phone and handed it directly to Ichinose. After a series of operations, she let out a faint sound of confusion.

"Do you usually follow internet idols, Raku-kun? The thing I wanted to look up for you is already in your browsing history."

"...I searched for it?"

"Yes, this internet idol named 'Shizuku' is Sakura Airi. Look, there are photos here too." As she spoke, Ichinose leaned in close, watching the images with me.

I pretended to be focused, observing every single photo.

"...As expected, boys are all interested in this type of girl."

"..."

"Do you like this type of girl, Raku-kun?"

"Probably not. At the very least, I don't even know what kind of girl I like myself." Once I understood the question, I immediately retorted.

"If that's the case, then why did you search for her, Raku-kun?"

"The boys in class mentioned her, and since I didn't know who she was, I looked her up online."

"The boys' group in class..."

I don't know why, but that sentence sounded a bit terrifying. Was it just my imagination?

"Um, does this have anything to do with her?"

"It does. Although Sakura is an entertainer, she is naturally timid and especially shy. That is why she hesitated for so long to testify for her classmates."

"However, today she made the decision to put an end to something. Ayanokoji deduced that since Kushida-san mentioned someone leaving extremely malicious comments on Sakura's feed, and because you were holding the surveillance camera, Ayanokoji-kun thought Sakura had gone to resolve that trouble on her own."

"After that, we followed her using the location service built into the mobile browser."

"In fact, Ayanokoji wasn't wrong. That girl intended to deal with a psychopathic fan by herself today. However, she isn't good at fighting back, which led to her almost getting into an accident."

"So you arrived and saved her?"

"Not quite," Ichinose shook her head, "The matter was already resolved before we arrived. That man had already been arrested by the police."

"Sakura-san called the police, then?"

"No, Sakura didn't have time to call the police."

"Then—"

"I don't know who did it. Although Sakura wanted to thank the caller in person afterward, the police couldn't trace the number."

"Doing a good deed without leaving a name... that's quite common, I suppose."

"That may be true, but Sakura still really wants to find that person. She has it quite tough; she has to endure this almost every day, knowing that her fans don't realize she isn't as lively as she appears online. Being an idol is truly difficult."

"That's not necessarily true. If you wanted to become an idol, Ichinose, it would be very easy, wouldn't it? You might even become the nation's sweetheart."

"Please don't say that about me. You can't just become an idol whenever you want to."

"Ichinose certainly has the potential for it."

"Please stop saying things like that!"

"Sorry, it was my fault." Seeing that Ichinose was already blushing with anger, I quickly apologized.

Whether it was her face, her figure, or even her personality, she was impeccable.

She was clearly very close to being the perfect woman.

"But come to think of it, Raku-kun, what kind of person do you think would help call the police but not want anyone to know about it?" Ichinose leaned in close, and for a moment, I could smell the fragrance on her.

"I can't really say what kind of person they are... perhaps they have a similar personality to the one who resolved the deliberation."

"Are you talking about the person hiding in Class D, Raku-kun?"

"Maybe... at the very least, they probably dislike trouble, just like me... no, if it were me, I might have just pretended not to see anything."

After I finished saying this, Ichinose was stunned for a moment. I thought I had said something wrong, but the next moment, she burst into laughter.

"Haha, Raku-kun, haven't you realized that what you just said about yourself is quite funny?"

"I don't think there's anything funny about it..."

Looking at the giggling girl in front of me, I didn't feel a shred of sympathy.

As expected, my sense of humor must be strange too.

"I'll ask one last time: which one of you leaked the information to Class D?"

Ryuen viciously placed his hand on Ishizaki's shoulder. Judging by the pained expression on Ishizaki's face and the bulging veins on Ryuen's arm, Ishizaki was undoubtedly enduring immense pain.

Komiya and Kondo were also kneeling to the side, trembling. In the sweltering summer heat, it was impossible to tell if the droplets falling from their foreheads were sweat or cold sweat.

"It... it really wasn't me."

"Me neither."

Although different people might display different twisted expressions when faced with violence, their eyes were, without exception, filled with the same fear.