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

"Aoyama, come take a look as well." Handing the sole guidebook for the class to Katsuragi, Mashima looked toward Aoyama, who was standing at the back of the line.

"Coming, coming."

Without refusing, Aoyama walked over to Katsuragi's side. At the same time, Sakayanagi, supported by Nishikawa Ryoko, also squeezed in.

Under Katsuragi's flipping, the more detailed exam rules were revealed to the three of them.

First, they saw the prohibited actions that would result in point deductions.

[If a student withdraws from the exam due to physical discomfort, the class loses thirty points.]

[Polluting the environment results in a twenty-point deduction.]

[The homeroom teacher of each class will conduct roll call at 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM daily; absence of one person results in a five-point deduction.]

[Using violence against other classes, or destroying or looting resources, will result in the entire class being disqualified and their exam points being wiped clean.]

According to the deduction rules, the idea of the class acting like Robinson Crusoe, as Ike Kanji had suggested, was completely impossible.

If just ten students withdrew due to illness, the exam points would drop to zero.

Chapter 69: Remember Not to Thank Me, Suzune

"Alright, next are the additional settings."

After Aoyama and the others finished reading the guidebook, the homeroom teacher Mashima spoke again.

On this man-made uninhabited island, there are locations known as Bases, and in the center of each location, there is a machine specifically for checking in.

As long as a class checks in at a Base, they can occupy it for eight hours, during which time the resources and open land of the Base belong entirely to the checking-in class.

At the same time, each check-in grants one exam point.

These exam points obtained through check-ins cannot be used to purchase resources and will only be settled at the very end of the exam.

"It seems the most important thing now is to choose the holder of the Key Card," Sakayanagi said, looking at Aoyama first before shifting her gaze to Katsuragi.

Not just anyone can check in.

First, checking in requires something called a Key Card, and once its holder is confirmed, it cannot be changed without a valid reason.

Each class only has one Key Card.

"I'm not participating in this, and please, absolutely do not reveal to me who the Key Card holder is."

Before Katsuragi could speak, Aoyama made a statement that made his expression turn ugly.

"I trust you, Aoyama."

"But I am not worthy of your trust, because I will seek out who the leader of Class A is, and once confirmed, I'll sell that information for a good price."

Amidst the focused gazes of the Class A students, Aoyama's voice did not waver in the slightest.

He openly declared that not only would he not cooperate with the special exam, but he would also be their hidden enemy.

If one point is gained for every check-in, then by occupying about three Bases, a class could earn only fifty exam points over these six-plus days.

While the benefits are significant, the risks are equally high.

If another class discovers who the Key Card holder is and informs the school on the last day of the exam, the points obtained by the discovered class through check-ins will be wiped to zero, and an additional fifty points will be deducted from their remaining exam points.

For every additional class that discovers it, another fifty exam points are deducted.

"Aren't you a student of Class A? How can you have no sense of belonging?" Kito Hayato spoke coldly, winning nods from a group of Class A students.

Regardless of how one looks at it, from the perspective of the class, Aoyama's actions were going too far.

In terms of overall utility to Class A, he was no better than The Three Idiots of Class D.

"I have never considered myself a student of Class A, and of course, I have never considered myself a student of classes B, C, or D either."

"In this special exam, I see an opportunity to harvest millions of private points."

Aoyama replied to Kito in a steady tone, showing no signs of anger.

Since the students of Class A still held onto the hope that he would turn over a new leaf, he didn't mind being even clearer.

"Let me state this upfront: I will not order Yamamura or Kamuro to betray Class A, believe it or not."

"In the coming time, I will generally only appear at the Class A Base during roll call."

Aoyama was still willing to provide the most basic assistance to ensure Class A didn't lose points.

This caused the expressions of the students who were worried about point deductions for missing roll call to soften slightly.

"Then please leave, Aoyama," Katsuragi said, his forehead furrowing into a frown. "We need to discuss who will hold the Key Card and head to the Bases."

Knowing that Aoyama intended to provide only the bare minimum cooperation, he didn't try to persuade him with words.

As the leader of Class A, he knew what the urgent priority was.

To Katsuragi's urging, Aoyama revealed an intriguing smile. "No rush, I will make sure students from other classes also stay on the beach, so you won't miss your chance."

While the leaders of each class were all present, the looting plan he had formulated for the uninhabited island exam was about to be officially implemented.

The first target, naturally, was to backstab Horikita Suzune, that cute brother-complex girl who had received his portrait just today.

"What do you mean?"

"I plan to auction off Class D's exam points. If you're interested, stick around for a bit," Aoyama said in a voice only the two of them could hear. "This isn't like that time with Hashimoto; this is a genuine, golden opportunity."

Without giving Katsuragi a chance to press for details, Aoyama walked unhurriedly toward the group of Class B students.

Seeing the Class A student approach, the murmurs among the Class B students gradually died down until there was total silence.

"Sorry, we're a little busy right now, Aoyama-kun."

Even in a loose tracksuit, her stunning figure was impossible to hide. Ichinose Honami stepped out from the crowd of Class B students with a bright smile.

Her pink hair, which usually cascaded down her back like a waterfall, was now styled into two large buns atop her head—a double-bun hairstyle.

"The new hairstyle looks cute on you." Aoyama offered a compliment before continuing, "I'm going to be auctioning off Class D's exam points in a little while. Could you please not leave the beach for now? It'll start soon."

"Tha—you're auctioning off Class D's exam points!?" Ichinose's expression shifted from bashful to shocked in an instant.

"That's right. I'm going to notify Class C now, so I won't keep you any longer."

Without further explanation, Aoyama set off again.

Although Ichinose's double buns were quite lovely and made his fingers itch to reach out and touch them, he didn't dare act recklessly under the watchful eyes of the Class B students.

If nothing else, the adorable Shiranami would surely fly into a rage.

"What wind blew the Student Council vice president all the way over here?"

Before Aoyama could even get close to the Class C group, Ryuen approached him with a wild, arrogant grin.

Judging by the bulge of his arm muscles, his physical prowess was quite impressive, which explained how he managed to secure his position as the leader of Class C.

"I plan to auction off Class D's exam points, and I intend to extend an invitation to Class C."

"The more classes that compete, the higher the individual points I can sell them for."

Under Ryuen's sharp, scrutinizing gaze, Aoyama calmly stated his intentions.

Having discarded the trust of Horikita Suzune, his appetite this time was far from small; he wanted to take as much as he possibly could.

Therefore, having all three classes bid against each other was absolutely essential.

"Did that girl Horikita Suzune betray her own class?" Ryuen narrowed his eyes, observing the changes in Aoyama's expression.

"I have the means to bring her to heel, that is all."

"Ho ho, it seems that foolish woman Horikita is being played right in the palm of your hand. How truly laughable."

Laughing like a villain, Ryuen continued to probe for any shift in Aoyama's demeanor.

Only after failing to read whether Aoyama felt any guilt or other emotions did he slowly stop laughing.

"I really want to see the look on Horikita's face when you stab her in the back."

"I'm looking forward to it, too—the expression on Suzune's cute face." His expression finally losing its indifference, the corners of Aoyama's mouth curled upward.

Months had passed since he began eating and chatting with Horikita Suzune.

Though he hadn't said it aloud, he had gradually sensed Horikita Suzune's trust in him; as long as what he said wasn't too outrageous, Horikita Suzune wouldn't bother to scrutinize its authenticity.

That won't do, Suzune. Your brother wouldn't be satisfied with a version of you like that.

Looking into the distance at Horikita Suzune, who was surrounded by Class D students, Aoyama's thoughts churned.

I am doing this to fulfill your wish of gaining your brother's approval. Remember not to thank me.

Chapter 70: The Fragile Horikita Suzune

"What are you doing here, you Class A student? Don't tell me you're trying to steal Class D's battle plan."

Before Aoyama could reach the Class D camp, Yamauchi Haruki, one of the "Three Idiots" of Class D, jumped out and pointed a finger at him without a shred of courtesy.

With his messy short hair and average looks, Yamauchi had a gaze that seemed a bit dim-witted.

"Yeah, that's right! Class A students aren't welcome here," his friend Ike Kanji chimed in.

The vast majority of the boys in Class D had no intention of welcoming Aoyama.

Setting aside the rivalry between their classes, the mere fact that Aoyama was constantly seen with the cutest girl in their class, Horikita Suzune, filled them with the hostility of men whose treasure was being snatched away by an outsider.

"My apologies. It was my mistake to assume you would care about your own dignity." Facing their accusations, Aoyama walked closer with composure. "But I don't think I can be blamed, as none of you possess the strength to even catch my attention."

"In short, trash belongs in the trash heap. Don't come out here and make a spectacle of yourselves."

The high-damage remark immediately caused Yamauchi and Ike, who had just spoken, to flush red with anger, and it made the gazes of the other Class D boys even colder.

However, Aoyama didn't care. What could mere cold glares do to him?

"Who are you calling trash? Back in middle school, I was the starting pitcher for the school baseball team!"

"If I hadn't been injured halfway through the Koshien tournament, I could have led the team to the finals!"

Face red and neck veins bulging, Yamauchi shouted loudly, his eyes constantly darting toward the group of girls.

He was likely hoping to see a look of admiration on their faces.

In an instant, Aoyama was left speechless, feeling a sense of regret for having bothered to say anything to such a simpleton.

Japan's Koshien was a tournament exclusively for high school students.

This is something almost every high school student knows.

"Get well soon." After offering his well-wishes, Aoyama looked at Horikita, who had no idea what was about to happen.

"Suzune, come with me for a moment. Kushida, Karuizawa, you two as well. I have something to discuss with you."

After calling for Horikita Suzune, Aoyama summoned the two lovely girls from Class D.

Under the envious glares of The Three Idiots from Class D, the four of them walked together to a stretch of beach far away from the other students.

"Did you think of something that we need to be concerned about?" Horikita Suzune asked, as composed as ever.

"I plan to take two hundred and fifty of Class D's private points and split them into two portions to auction off to the other three classes—one for one hundred, and one for one hundred and fifty. I have a use for the remaining fifty."

Without giving the three of them any time to prepare, Aoyama laid out his plan to liquidate Class D's assets.

Selling the items as a single lot would certainly fetch a lower price than selling them separately, and the essential supplies needed for a class to survive on the island for six days would cost less than one hundred and fifty private points if managed frugally.

"You said you would lead Class D to victory!"

Upon understanding what Aoyama had said, Horikita Suzune shouted her question uncontrollably, her delicate and lovely face now filled with panic.

Her usual ice-cold demeanor was nowhere to be seen.

"I will absolutely not agree to this. You are violating our agreement first."

Seeing Horikita Suzune display the kind of panic she only ever showed because of her brother, Horikita Manabu, and seeing her completely devoid of her usual composure, Aoyama felt a sense of satisfaction.

Beside them, Kushida, who had been pretending to be in disbelief, found the corners of her mouth twitching, struggling to hide her expression.

Karuizawa, meanwhile, maintained her troubled look, her mind wandering elsewhere as she pondered something.

"I only said I would lead Class D to victory, but I never said it had to be by finishing first," Aoyama chuckled. "For a Class D that is currently ranked dead last in the entire grade, not finishing in last place counts as a win."

If they guessed correctly which student from another class held the Key Card, they could earn fifty private points.

If they guessed wrong, they would be penalized fifty points.

Combined with the points earned from occupying the Base, if they played their cards right, Class D, which currently had zero private points, might not necessarily end up in last place.