Like a corporate drone hearing an alarm, he instinctively started getting up to go to work.
At the mention of an exam, the students of Class A likewise instinctively felt that it was time to take things seriously!
The dazzling man, Katsuragi, straightened up too, indicating that he would take it seriously. Sakayanagi Arisu's lips curled into a smile, as if she finally found this a little interesting.
"Then... what's the exam about?"
Kijima Tsukur pinched his chin, his thoughts continuing to branch out, as he scrutinized Mashima-sensei like he was sizing up an object.
"There are no rules. We'll have to figure everything out ourselves!"
"When I refused to cooperate and hand out my phone, and Sakayanagi asked a question without raising her hand, Mashima-sensei's eye twitched noticeably. He was clearly displeased, yet he didn't stop us or reprimand us... That doesn't make sense!"
"This edition of the student handbook was published five years ago. Advanced Nurturing prides itself on having a free-spirited school culture, and it really doesn't impose any requirements on clothing or hairstyles."
"If he were merely unhappy about students disrupting class, Mashima-sensei, who's already become a grade-level head, should be used to this sort of thing. His expression shouldn't have changed so noticeably."
"The only explanation is that our behavior affected Mashima-sensei himself. But that conclusion isn't rigorous."
"Mashima-sensei seems like the type to take his responsibilities seriously. Perhaps he was concerned about his students, and this behavior would actually affect us, or maybe both?"
"Then it's not hard to guess what the exam is about!"
"Classroom discipline? Codes of conduct? Student-teacher etiquette? Or all of the above?"
"Judging by how Mashima-sensei dodged the question earlier, the points we receive each month must be related to this exam too. There's no way we'll get a hundred thousand points every month."
"So, since we don't know the situation yet, the best course of action is to save our points, follow the rules, and fulfill our duties as students!"
Gulp...
Someone swallowed, seemingly astonished by Kijima Tsukur's deductions.
But thanks to the students' excellent upbringing, no one discussed it aloud.
Nearby, Kamuro Masumi furrowed her lovely brows too, discreetly glancing at the man beside her.
Thinking it over carefully,
his deductions weren't baseless. Everything he'd concluded had sound reasoning behind it.
More importantly,
this man had always given the impression that he looked down on everyone.
Yet his perceptiveness had been focused on the entire class all along!
He'd noticed the changes in Mashima-sensei's expression, and even knew that Sakayanagi Arisu behind him had asked a second question without raising her hand.
Did this guy have eyes in the back of his head?
Behind him,
Sakayanagi Arisu was smiling with delight too.
She hadn't expected
Kijima Tsukur to notice something that had escaped even her.
That alone showed how capable Kijima Tsukur was.
But the more capable someone was, the more satisfying they were to toy with. Sakayanagi Arisu's interest had risen a little.
After all,
what Kijima Tsukur had deduced wasn't anything major.
Even if he was right, Class A's strong foundation meant they would be fine whether they knew this or not.
This deduction
was mostly a way of establishing his standing in Class A.
However,
the others soon realized something was off.
He himself had said that the best course of action was to save points, follow classroom rules, and fulfill one's duties as a student!
And yet,
Kijima Tsukur was still sitting with his legs crossed and ignoring classroom etiquette. Was he messing with them?
At the front of the room,
Mashima-sensei looked just as stunned.
In all his years as Class A's homeroom teacher, he'd encountered students who could pick up on the school's rules, but they usually needed several days of observation.
But
someone like Kijima Tsukur,
who'd worked out the truth right after hearing the rules—
he'd never seen one!
Of course, that wasn't the whole picture. The information was simply insufficient; it was impossible to deduce every rule from what little they had.
After his initial shock,
Mashima-sensei felt somewhat relieved.
Kijima Tsukur, Katsuragi Kohei, Sakayanagi Arisu.
We're set!
This year's Class A had even more talent than he'd expected!
He looked at Kijima Tsukur, a trace of a smile appearing on his lips.
"Any other questions?"
"Can you answer them?"
"Whether you get an answer is up to you."
Clearly, the school's restrictions meant that even if Mashima-sensei wanted to, he couldn't answer as he pleased.
Of course, rules alone couldn't keep someone from acting. Mashima-sensei's professional ethics probably had more to do with it.
"Then there's no need."
Mashima-sensei wasn't the only one who could search for information. Kijima Tsukur had no interest in vague answers.
Seeing that no one else had any questions,
Mashima-sensei told them the opening ceremony would be held in an hour, then left the classroom in his leather shoes, leaving the rest of the time to them.
The classroom fell silent. Many students looked between Katsuragi, Sakayanagi Arisu, and Kijima Tsukur.
This was a uniquely Japanese superpower—
reading the room!
Even without talking, everyone had keenly realized it.
Even if they didn't know who would stand at the top of the class, those three were sure to be Class A's central figures. At the very least, they belonged to its upper circle.
One of them ought to take the lead and have everyone introduce themselves.
That would make it easier for them all to get to know one another.
Just then,
Kijima Tsukur stood up with his Rubik's Cube in hand and finally turned to look at Sakayanagi Arisu and Katsuragi Kohei.
"Sakayanagi, Katsuragi, from now on, you're both my subordinates."
"Ha!?"
Kamuro Masumi looked as if she couldn't take it anymore.
She'd thought he was going to introduce himself, or maybe try to become class leader. But he'd gone straight to telling people to be his underlings?
And he'd said it with such confidence?
Kijima Tsukur sounded as if he were simply announcing a fact: From now on, you two are my subordinates. His tone was so matter-of-fact.
Kamuro Masumi really couldn't understand.
What on earth was going through this guy's head? How had he made it this far without getting beaten to death?
Even a rich kid wouldn't be this outrageous, would they?
Still, Kamuro Masumi was a little excited to watch the drama unfold. She secretly studied Sakayanagi Arisu and Katsuragi's expressions, wondering how they'd react.
She really hoped someone would beat up the conceited Kijima Tsukur.
"Kijima."
Katsuragi stood up. He didn't get angry; instead, he remained as composed as ever.
"I'm not quite sure what you mean. Perhaps you have trouble socializing for some reason. If you're trying to build relationships with everyone, I'm sure that I and the others would be glad to be your friends. But that doesn't mean there's any hierarchy between us!"
Quite a few people looked impressed. They could already see what made Katsuragi exceptional.
He hadn't gotten angry at the other boy's rudeness. He'd even considered that Kijima Tsukur might be different from the others, and offered to help him fit into the class.
Clearly, he was an excellent leader.
Katsuragi's response immediately earned him the goodwill of many students.
"Katsuragi, it seems you've misunderstood me."
Kijima Tsukur turned to look at Katsuragi, staring straight into his eyes.
"I was perfectly clear. From now on, you and Sakayanagi are my subordinates. You'll obey my orders without question and never challenge them. I'm not asking you to become my equal friends. Understand?"
"..."
Katsuragi fell silent. The people around them were just as dumbfounded.
They could barely hide their astonishment...
They'd thought Kijima Tsukur might be bad at socializing and wanted to make friends but didn't know how to say it, so he'd talked about making them his subordinates...
They hadn't expected him to be serious...
On the first day of school, at their very first meeting, he'd asked someone to become his subordinate?
It was absurd... How could anything like this happen? It was so absurd that Katsuragi and the others didn't know how to respond.
Should they just beat him up?
Or ignore him?
"Hehe..."
Sakayanagi Arisu, sitting at her desk, smiled with interest.
"If that's the case, Kijima, what's your reason for wanting us two to be your subordinates?"
"..."
Kijima Tsukur leaned toward Sakayanagi Arisu, bringing his face to within ten centimeters of her lovely one. His pitch-black eyes seemed to peer into her soul.
"When Mashima-sensei invited us to ask questions, there was a five-second pause. Then Katsuragi raised his hand, and you asked your question right after him."
"To say that all of this was a coincidence would be a little too convenient."
"It's true that many people in Japan are afraid to speak up, so pauses like that are normal."
"But when you took out your phone, you raised your hand to get permission. Clearly, you understand classroom etiquette, and you're not afraid to speak up."
"So there's only one explanation! You deliberately waited until after Katsuragi to ask your question!"
Sakayanagi Arisu's smile grew wider. She almost wanted to applaud him.
This Kijima Tsukur might be even more interesting than she'd imagined. She narrowed her eyes with a smile.
"An interesting guess. And then?"
Before you continue