Horikita Manabu was dumbfounded.
After all that, you're no good person either...
Thinking about it, Horikita Manabu felt a little regretful. Damn, he should've known better than to tell Kijima Tsukur all this. Though, maybe it wouldn't have made any difference.
He was still curious, but also hesitant. He tried to salvage the situation as best he could.
"So what are you planning to do? Destroy this school as a student? That should be impossible, shouldn't it?"
"Don't worry. It's not what you think, Horikita Manabu. Your efforts weren't in vain."
Kijima Tsukur turned toward the dormitory, then stopped. He glanced over his shoulder at the student council president who loved Advanced Nurturing and said flatly:
"I'll make sure every first-year graduates from Class A. That'll prove that what people call helplessness is merely the incompetence of the leaders. Don't pin your own incompetence on the generations that come after you."
With that,
Kijima Tsukur walked away, leaving Horikita Manabu frozen in place.
Kijima Tsukur had more or less understood why that person had sent him to this school.
The world was divided into herbivores and carnivores.
Carnivores ate herbivores. That was only natural, and Kijima Tsukur didn't think there was anything wrong with it.
In fact,
even if someone killed another person right in front of him, Kijima Tsukur wouldn't think there was anything wrong with that either.
But if someone tried to turn every animal into a carnivore, leaving herbivores no room to survive—
Then
order would collapse!
No one would survive.
That was something Kijima Tsukur would never allow.
Even evil had its limits. There had to be boundaries, and he was the great evil who guarded the boundaries of evil!
He could tolerate anything, but he would never allow anyone to cross that line!
He would prove it.
What people called helplessness was merely the incompetence of the leaders!
Sakayanagi Arisu's Little Scheme, the Leader of Class A!
The next day.
Class 1-A.
Yamamura Miki placed breakfast on Kijima Tsukur's desk, feeling rather put upon.
Whenever she thought about how useless she was—that she really was bringing this guy his meals—Yamamura Miki felt like crying.
"Mm. You're thirty minutes earlier than yesterday. This time works perfectly."
Kijima Tsukur nodded approvingly and opened the plastic bag. Today's breakfast was three rice balls and a carton of milk.
For him,
one sandwich really was a little too small. A breakfast like today's was much better. Having Yamamura Miki take care of his daily needs had definitely been the right choice.
What do you mean, this time works perfectly? You should be saying thank you.
Yamamura Miki grumbled to herself, then said timidly, "I'll go back to my seat, then."
"Wait a bit."
Kijima Tsukur took a bite of his rice ball. "When I'm finished, bring a chair up to the podium."
"Huh?"
Yamamura Miki jumped.
Moving a chair wasn't so bad, but carrying one from the back of the classroom to the podium while all her classmates watched?
Just thinking about all those people staring at her—
How embarrassing would that be?
Yamamura Miki wanted to refuse. She muttered, "W-why?"
"I have something to do."
If you have something to do, move it yourself!
Yamamura Miki felt like crying. With her shoulders drooping, she went back to her seat and prepared herself mentally for the upcoming chair-moving.
She knew it!
How could the spoiled son of a landlord like Kijima Tsukur ever do anything himself?
Before long,
Kijima Tsukur finished eating.
Feeling his gaze on her, Yamamura Miki grew nervous. She took a deep breath, picked up the chair she'd been sitting on, and carried it toward the podium.
The people around her glanced at her, then moved aside and looked away.
Waaah...
Yamamura Miki felt like crying.
It was a relief not to have people staring at her like that,
but the thought that she'd done something so conspicuous and still hadn't drawn anyone's attention left her feeling conflicted.
She set the chair down, and Kijima Tsukur walked over and sat on it. Only then did some people start looking over curiously.
"Everyone."
As soon as he spoke,
the others in Class A stopped what they were doing and looked over, puzzled and curious. They wondered what this weirdo was up to.
"I have four things to tell you."
"First, points are divided into Class Points and personal points at a ratio of one to one hundred. Class Points determine the class rankings."
"Second, only students who graduate from Class A will have the freedom to choose their careers."
"Third, the school will hold Special Exams at irregular intervals. Some exams may result in students being expelled."
"Fourth, two million personal points can be used to cancel an expulsion penalty once or to buy a chance to transfer classes."
As soon as he said that,
everyone in Class A was stunned.
There was so much information to take in that it practically laid out the school's entire system.
Once they'd processed it,
even Class A instantly erupted into a hubbub.
This was no small matter.
If what Kijima Tsukur said was true, only Class A students would have the freedom to choose their careers.
Then
the other classes would undoubtedly do everything they could to rise to Class A. The other classes would target Class A, and they would surely face fierce competition from then on.
They might get carried by their classmates, or they might get dragged down by them. Or should they save up two million points and rely on their own ability to win?
Should they depend on their class, or trust in their own strength?
What path should they take from here on out?
But when they remembered that they were already in Class A, they couldn't help but feel relieved.
After all, they had Katsuragi, Sakayanagi Arisu, and Kijima Tsukur.
From the very first day of school, they'd already worked out most of the rules for this first exam. They had every confidence that they could hold on to Class A.
The real question was, were these details true?
Just then, Katsuragi stood up, his expression grave.
"Kijima, is this true?"
"Katsuragi, it seems you've misunderstood. This isn't up for discussion. It's a notice."
Kijima Tsukur crossed one leg over the other, rested his left hand on his knee, and pointed his right index finger at the ceiling. He looked down at the people below, his expression indifferent.
"Since this is my first order, I'll explain my approach. I'll answer questions, but I won't entertain challenges!"
Simply put,
it was the difference between asking how to do something and asking why.
He could accept his subordinates being mediocre. If they didn't understand something or didn't know what to do, they could ask him. But he wouldn't accept questions about why they should do it.
Katsuragi's question was basically asking, Are you lying to me?
So Kijima Tsukur wouldn't answer.
Everyone paused, then rolled their eyes in unison.
Yamamura Miki, standing off to the side, was even more speechless. This guy was just as arrogant as ever. Wasn't he afraid someone would hit him?
Katsuragi was speechless too, but he furrowed his brows. He could more or less guess that this information had come from Horikita Manabu or Miyabi Nagumo.
Given Kijima Tsukur's abilities,
there was no need to doubt the information's authenticity.
"Second."
Kijima Tsukur held up two fingers and said flatly:
"Given the information I've just shared, I don't care what you do at other times. But from now on, even outside class, you'll need to show that I'm the one in charge. That'll demonstrate Class A's unity. Understood?"
"Huff..."
A heavy breath sounded, as though someone could barely hold back their anger. The others in Class A were also at a loss for words.
This guy...
He really thought he was the leader, already giving orders like this?
They did acknowledge that Kijima Tsukur had what it took to be a leader, but shouldn't he at least ask what everyone else thought?
"Any objections?"
"I agree!"
At that moment, a slender arm shot up high. The first person to voice her support was none other than Sakayanagi Arisu!
The people around them stared in astonishment.
In many people's eyes, Katsuragi, Sakayanagi Arisu, and Kijima Tsukur all had what it took to be leaders.
And the most suitable leader was undoubtedly:
Katsuragi, followed by Sakayanagi Arisu, and then Kijima Tsukur.
After all,
Katsuragi cared about his classmates and had the bearing of a king,
while Kijima Tsukur had plenty of ability, but a decidedly strange personality.
Sakayanagi Arisu fell somewhere in between, seeming rather ordinary, but she definitely had what it took to be a leader too.
They'd only known each other for a few days,
but they'd already gotten a general sense of one another's personalities.
Before you continue