Classroom of the Elite, I Also Want to Be a Good Person

While Shiranami Chihiro was still weighing the pros and cons, Aoyama dropped a bombshell that left her completely stunned, rooted to the spot in a daze.

The image of Ichinose in her mind was completely replaced by Aoyama.

A tall, handsome boy who was also the vice president of the Student Council, holding her hand as they walked through campus, while the gazes cast by other girls were filled with a complex mix of envy, jealousy, and resentment.

Although she didn't want to admit it, Shiranami knew her heart had skipped a beat in a shameful way.

"Did your heart just skip a beat?"

"I... I didn't! You... don't talk nonsense."

Meeting Aoyama's handsome face, which wore a slightly teasing expression, Shiranami guiltily looked away.

It was generally impossible to develop a feeling of "this is the one" after only two months of knowing someone.

"Just lie low and wait for the right moment, Shiranami." Aoyama wasn't so insensitive as to say, 'It seems your love for Ichinose is only this much'; he would let her realize that on her own.

With a two-pronged approach, he believed Shiranami would make a clear choice.

"Then, for our next meeting, what should I say to Honami?"

"Since you didn't make a clear confession in your letter anyway, you can use the excuse that you've developed a sense of admiration for her and hope she can teach you how to grow into someone like her. That way, you can get closer to Ichinose."

Knowing that Shiranami had abandoned the idea of confessing, Aoyama spared no effort in offering her advice.

Hearing Aoyama's near-perfect response, Shiranami felt a bit moved. "Unlike me, I always feel like Aoyama is very mature, as reliable as an adult."

"Thanks for the compliment, but I have to correct one thing: many adults are actually quite unreliable, for example, Hoshinomiya-sensei."

Aoyama brought up the homeroom teacher of Class 1-B, the teacher who showed up to work smelling of alcohol from time to time.

During the Student Council mediation last time, she had even teased him a little.

"Well, Kozue-sensei is indeed unreliable at times." With a bitter smile, Shiranami had to agree with Aoyama's opinion.

If asked whether she liked Hoshinomiya, a teacher who could get along well with students, she would say yes.

But to lie through her teeth and call her reliable was something she couldn't do.

"Keep it up. As long as you work hard to improve yourself, you will definitely appear in Ichinose's heart."

Realizing it was time for him to take his leave, Aoyama stood up and gently patted Shiranami's head to encourage her.

Love might make people blind, but it could also drive them to strive for better.

Regardless, improving oneself was a good thing, even if the starting point might not be entirely serious.

"If Ichinose still doesn't want you by then, I'll reluctantly take you in."

Leaving behind words that were clearly a joke, Aoyama completed his task.

Chapter 48: Whispers of a Devil

"You really are here, Aoyama."

The day after he had dissuaded Shiranami from confessing, Aoyama was conducting his daily workout with Sakura, who had shed her disguise, when a knock came at the door of the private room.

He paused his workout, wiped off his sweat, and pulled the door open.

Ichinose, with bright, spirited eyes and a smug little smile, stood prettily outside the door.

"If you were looking for me, a phone call would have sufficed."

Seeing it was the highly approachable Ichinose, Aoyama welcomed her into the room without hesitation.

And when Ichinose caught sight of Sakura, he spoke up directly, calling Sakura, who was hiding in the corner, to his side.

Among the first-year students, Ichinose was the easiest to get along with.

As the first challenge on Sakura's path to advancement, she was quite suitable.

"Don't tell me you need me to help you introduce yourself." He pulled Sakura, who was half-hiding behind him, out and pushed her back so she stood in front of Ichinose.

The two standing face-to-face were equally outstanding in both appearance and figure.

It was only in their temperament that one was confident and generous, while the other was timid and shrinking, making the difference clear at a glance.

Let her do it herself.

Seemingly to accommodate the nervous Sakura, Ichinose's lips parted as if she were about to speak first.

Therefore, Aoyama pressed his index finger to his lips and shook his head at her.

"I am... Sakura Airi from Class 1-D..."

"I'm Ichinose Honami from Class 1-B! Sakura-san, you look very cute."

As soon as Sakura's weak voice faded, Ichinose responded with great energy, the smile on her face looking sincere no matter how one looked at it.

"It seems we share the same opinion, Ichinose." Aoyama rubbed Sakura's head, offered a soft word of encouragement, and let her retreat back to the corner.

With her eyes so nervous they were practically spinning, he was afraid she might faint on the spot if he kept her there any longer.

"Does Sakura-san usually wear red-rimmed glasses at school?"

After they sat down on the chairs together, Ichinose looked at Sakura's back with a gentle expression.

After comparing her to the image of the Class D student in her memory, she had discovered Sakura's true identity.

"I'm impressed you managed to figure that out; most people wouldn't have linked those two together." Aoyama confirmed the accuracy of Ichinose's hypothesis.

"Having a good memory is one of my few redeeming qualities. I've basically memorized what every first-year student looks like."

"Very good. That's one more piece of sellable intelligence on the first years: the leader of Class 1-B is a liar." Aoyama gave a playful laugh. "Even though you have more virtues than I can count."

"Nobody would buy such fake intelligence. Please stop teasing me, Aoyama-kun."

Half-shy and half-exasperated, Ichinose turned her head away to avoid looking at Aoyama's face.

"Thank you so much for what you did for Chihiro, Aoyama-kun. It didn't turn into the outcome I feared most, and Chihiro doesn't seem too upset, either."

"That's good to hear, but you could have just said that over the phone. There was no need to make a special trip."

"You might think it's nothing, Aoyama-kun, but it's a very important matter to me." Ichinose shook her head. "Every single classmate is a precious friend to me."

"If you hold onto that mindset at this school, you're going to have a very hard time."

Kouiku, which is dedicated to cultivating elite leaders, didn't recruit them to play house.

Rational detachment is a skill that every leader must learn.

When the first year ends and they advance to the second year, the special exams that follow almost inevitably result in students being expelled.

"I suppose you're right. But I will do everything in my power to protect everyone in my class."

"That is my duty as class representative."

Clenching her fists and pumping her arms to encourage herself, Ichinose's eyes were filled with determination.

"Good luck. Whenever you need me, just do this, and I'll appear." Aoyama chuckled and made a money-counting gesture, causing Ichinose's desperate, all-or-nothing momentum to dissipate.

"You can be really something sometimes, Aoyama-kun."

Returning to her usual self, Ichinose thanked him once more before saying goodbye to Aoyama and Sakura.

Soon, the room returned to just Sakura and Aoyama.

"Starting next month, we'll meet in the main hall. I won't be renewing this room, and we'll move the training time to after dinner."

As Sakura stopped her workout to rest, Aoyama called her over to announce his decision.

Ichinose and her training partner, Amikura Mako, usually came to the gym after resting for a while following dinner.

Judging by Sakura's performance today, the results of her training in isolation weren't exactly stellar.

"Eh?!! Aoyama-kun, I can't do that." Sakura shook her head frantically, her fiery red twin-tails swaying in a way that was quite cute.

"This is a notification, not a request for your opinion. You only need to nod."

Using a firm grip to control Sakura, Aoyama helpfully nodded her head for her.

As a competent member of the Student Council, he had an obligation to fulfill the school's mission of student development.

"I can't, Aoyama-kun, I really can't."

"We're going to play a game now. I won't let you leave until you win at least once."

Ignoring Sakura's pleas, Aoyama pressed on her shoulders, forcing her to sit cross-legged opposite him.

"The game is called Staring Contest. I won't bother explaining the rules; I'm sure you already know them."

A Staring Contest, as the name implies, is a game where two or more people stare at each other, and whoever looks away or blinks first loses.

It is a very simple game, but it is excellent for training patience and strengthening one's mental fortitude.

"If you don't look at me properly, don't expect me to let you out of this room before curfew." Aoyama curled his lips, openly observing Sakura, who had closed her eyes and blushed before the game had even begun.

Because she had just been exercising, a few strands of red hair were stuck to Sakura's smooth, fair forehead by sweat.

With her long, trembling eyelashes and her tightly pursed, delicate pink lips, and the way her athletic shirt clung to her impressive figure, Sakura looked like an incredibly charming girl no matter how you looked at her.

"Please, spare me, Aoyama-kun."

Lowering her head and clasping her fingers together, Sakura thought that it might be better to just faint, now that she realized Aoyama was staring at her the whole time.

Although she had grown accustomed to Aoyama's presence over the past week and could converse without being too nervous, she was certain she couldn't handle staring into his eyes for a long time.

After closing her eyes, the sound of her rapid heartbeat became even more pronounced.

"Am I so hideous that you can't bear to look at me? Or does Sakura dislike me that much?"

"That's not it! Aoyama-kun isn't ugly at all, and I don't dislike you either."

Even though she knew Aoyama was just teasing her, Sakura couldn't help but retort.

How could she possibly dislike the person who wanted to help her?

Although he did charge personal points, she knew from her research that this spacious private gym room cost much more than the points she was paying, even with the monthly discount.

She was very grateful to Aoyama for tirelessly helping someone like her, who couldn't even make friends on her own.

"You have zero credibility if you don't look someone in the eye when you speak, Sakura."

Aoyama's voice was low, rich, and pleasant, but to Sakura, it felt like the whisper of a devil.

Chapter 49: Sakayanagi in Motion

"Aoyama-kun."

The hum from the vending machine was as rhythmic as ever, unchanged since the start of the school year.

Once, this had been the sound that brought Yamamura Miki the most peace; as long as she stayed by the vending machine, her heart would settle.

But that was only in the past.

Now, Yamamura felt just as she had for the last two days, her mind filled with a ceaseless, unyielding tangle of distracting thoughts.

Even though she had been sitting by the familiar vending machine for over half an hour.

Is Aoyama-kun even interested in a body like mine?

Whenever she sat still, Yamamura would recall the look of absolute sincerity on Aoyama's face in that room the other day.

Her school life up until now had given her the feeling that she was living in a dream—it was so wonderful that it was frightening.

In less than three months since the start of the term, she had somehow gained an astonishing three friends! That was countless times more than she had in middle school.

Every Saturday, she could meet with her friends for study sessions and read books together at the library; her days were incredibly fulfilling.

"Yamamura-san, you seem to be troubled by something."

Just as Yamamura was fretting over how to face Aoyama, an elegant voice, as pleasant as a silver bell, drowned out the noise of the vending machine.

As she lifted her head from her lowered position to look toward the source of the sound, a slender yet sturdy cane came into view alongside a pair of beautifully curved calves.

Classmate Sakayanagi Arisu, the girl in class whom Aoyama-kun had described as having princess syndrome.

Since she was the only student in the entire school who carried a cane, Yamamura knew instantly who had addressed her.

"Sakayanagi-san..."

"If you don't mind, could you tell me about it? Perhaps I can offer a solution."

Sitting down with grace and refinement at a distance neither too close nor too far, Sakayanagi wore a faint smile on her face.

For a moment, Yamamura truly felt the urge to pour out her troubles.