You Bastard, Aoyama Shiki / Being Unreasonable

"This one?"

Holding Ichinose's cards between his fingers, Aoyama gazed at her lovely face.

That face, which often wore a smile and had a gentle, approachable demeanor, had eyes that were unusually tender, revealing no change in emotion whatsoever.

The Ichinose seemed to be in a good mood.

Could you please show me what card I'm holding? What's the meaning of staring at my face? Is this your strategy, Ichinose?

Isn't that a bit too shameless?

Aoyama thought to himself, somewhat speechless, that Ichinose's strategy was too underhanded; this way, he couldn't judge whether Ichinose had drawn the right card based on her expression.

Smoothing a strand of hair behind her ear, Ichinose's eyes softened even more. "Which one should I draw, Aoyama -kun?"

"Then please give me the Ace of Hearts."

"Cheating is unacceptable; I'd like this game to last a little longer."

With a smug smile, Ichinose politely declined Aoyama's suggestion, wanting to bask in Aoyama's attention for a little longer.

Meanwhile, in the Rabbit Group's room, Ayanokoji focused his attention on the three students from Class A. He ruled out the three students from Class B and the four students from Class C as potential candidates for manipulation.

Because of Aoyama Shiki's decisive move at the outset, Class B is now essentially exempt from this Special Exam.

As for Manabe's trio from Class C, including Ibuki Mio, he also managed to extract some information from them, such as the fact that the students in Class C had not obtained permission from Ryuen and had privately speculated that those VIP would be punished.

Takemoto Shigeru, Machida Koji, Morishige Takuro.

After several names flashed through his mind, Ayanokoji's gaze settled on Takemoto, who was the least composed of them all, and he began to think about how to seduce him.

The newly appointed leader, Sakayanagi Arisu, is far from capable of controlling all her students like Ryuen or Ichinose, ensuring they obey her orders and are not allowed to speculate about the leader.

We'll have to settle this privately.

Ayanokoji concluded that the Rabbit Group consisted of only slightly talented tool-like individuals, and he judged that Karuizawa was the only one on his side.

However, Karuizawa is Aoyama's man, and he doesn't want to interact with him casually. The remaining two members, Yukimura and Sotomura, are the type who wear their hearts on their sleeves, so they can only be used as supporting characters.

Class B students completely obeyed Ichinose's words, while the students in Class C seemed to be just going through the motions and waiting for the exams to be over, showing no offensive capabilities whatsoever.

It seems we still need to accumulate some useful tools and personnel.

Ayanokoji closed her eyes, and the names of the students in Class D flashed through her mind one after another.

He understood that Aoyama's ability to control lightning so quickly was the result of Aoyama's prior planning.

He doesn't want to be so passive next time.

Chapter 144 The Bastard Aoyama Shiki

[The first round of group discussions has ended. All students, please leave the examination room in an orderly manner.]

When Aoyama won another round of Old Maid, the announcement that the discussion had ended came over the loudspeaker; the one-hour exam seemed to have passed quickly.

In both rounds of the Old Maid game, Aoyama was the first to finish, and Amikura was the last.

A look of resentment crossed Amikura's small face. "I'm not playing poker tonight."

After witnessing Aoyama's memory, she felt that she had no chance of beating Aoyama at all in poker.

"Well, I'm fine with anything. Then you can have some fun tonight."

With a faint smile, Aoyama hid the playing cards back on his person. At the same time, Kushida came to his side, a somewhat displeased expression on his face.

Whether it's genuine dissatisfaction or feigned dissatisfaction, only heaven knows.

"You won't contact me unless I contact you, right?"

After leaving the room and taking Aoyama to a secluded place, Kushida reverted to his true nature, his expression anything but friendly, completely unlike his angelic nickname.

During the hour from the start to the end of the exam, Aoyama, her official girlfriend, never initiated a conversation with her.

If she hadn't taken the initiative to say a few words when signing the contract, she felt that Aoyama would have completely ignored her.

"And can you at least try to hide your feelings for Shiina? I wasn't even there just now. Do you know how much pity Amikura looked at me then?"

"Since you've let me be your girlfriend, can't you at least put on a little more of an act?"

Her voice was filled with resentment; Kushida made no attempt to hide her dissatisfaction with Aoyama, figuring he couldn't possibly be Aoyama.

The pitying look in Amikura's eyes just now put her under immense pressure.

Aoyama placed his hand on Kushida's head and ruffled it. "I'm putting a lot of effort into this role, playing a scumbag who's abandoned his old love for a new one."

"What does this mean? Could you explain it in more detail?" Kushida's gaze remained icy.

"There are many people who want me to drop out of school, and I think Nagumo hates me a lot. If he wants to scheme against me, he has to do it through the first-year students."

"You mean you want me to go undercover?"

Kushida knew immediately what Aoyama was planning to do.

The reason she thought of it so quickly was that the second-year student whom Aoyama asked her to help connect was one of Nagumo's ex-girlfriends and also the former class leader of Class C.

It was because they trusted Nagumo that Class C suffered a crushing defeat in a Special Exam and was subsequently removed from their leadership positions.

Last year at the end of the first year, when Class A was overwhelmingly stronger than many others, Classes B, C, and D considered joining forces to deal with Class A. The reason they failed was largely due to the leadership of Class C.

"That's right. When the time comes, I'll have Suzune put on a show with me. All you have to do is go to Nagumo with your most genuine jealousy of Suzune, and Nagumo will almost certainly consider you one of his own."

Kushida gritted his teeth, "What about my reputation? You know how much I hate Horikita, don't you?"

Rather than have myself branded as a Minotaur by Horikita Suzune, I'd rather she just be dead.

"Endure it." Faced with Kushida's dissatisfaction, Aoyama uttered two words without room for argument. His unauthorized actions on the Uninhabited Island had already caused him to lose the little trust he had left in Kushida.

"Aoyama Shiki!"

"Yes, I'm here. What's up?"

Even as Kushida slapped his hand away and glared at him angrily, Aoyama remained unmoved.

Now he controls Kushida's lifeline, not the Kushida.

"Damn it." Kushida, and could only glare at Aoyama. She dared not do anything out of line.

This seemingly kind but actually ruthless guy is capable of abandoning her.

"You can criticize me, as long as you get things done."

"A girl in Class D said that Ayanokoji and Hirata seem to be appearing together more often lately," Kushida revealed information that Aoyama might be interested in.

She knew that only by regaining Aoyama's trust could she stop being used as a tool without human rights, as she was now.

Aoyama smiled. "So, you're finally starting to take action, Ayanokoji?"

On the Uninhabited Island, Sakayanagi had warned him that Ayanokoji was likely to take action, and now it seems that Sakayanagi's prediction was correct; Ayanokoji indeed began to move.

"Who is Ayanokoji? You seem to care about him quite a bit," Kushida said bluntly.

"Give me Ayanokoji's phone number, you'll find out soon enough."

Now that he's starting to hinder his infiltration of Class D, Aoyama plans to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, the so-called masterpiece of the White Room.

Hiding in the gutter and suddenly popping out to take a bite—that's unacceptable. A man's romance lies in facing the enemy head-on.

"Go and get Takemoto Shigeru's contact information for me."

Meanwhile, after the discussion ended, Hirata immediately sought out Ayanokoji to discuss with him what Class D should do next to reverse their predicament.

Ayanokoji's ability to come up with the idea of changing the phone card has already earned him a certain degree of trust.

"Takemoto's contact information? Asking for it directly might raise his suspicion." After thinking for a moment, Hirata replied to Ayanokoji. It was during Special Exam period, and even seemingly insignificant actions could arouse the students' suspicion.

"You know any girls in Class A, right? Just tell them that a student in the class found something that looks like Takemoto, and ask for their contact information to verify it."

With a blank expression, Ayanokoji offered Hirata a solution.

Sakayanagi has far greater financial resources than them, and given that neither Class C has any chess pieces, he abandons the path of guessing the VIP pattern and plans to prioritize preventing Class D from losing Class Points.

The group of VIP in Class D is Dragon, Rabbit, and Horse.

Given the presence of Sakayanagi and Ryuen in the Dragon Group, Ayanokoji believes that not being guessed correctly is a success, and misleading Ryuen and Sakayanagi is not an easy task.

"Wait, I need to take this call." Before Hirata could respond, Ayanokoji noticed someone was calling him from an unknown number, which seemed suspiciously obvious.

Kouiku only has a few phone numbers, so they shouldn't be leaked.

Leaving Hirata's side, Ayanokoji walked to the empty deck. "Excuse me, who are you?"

"Aoyama Shiki, your childhood sweetheart whom you've never met."

"I never thought that the phrase 'never met before' could be associated with childhood friends." Ayanokoji was puzzled as to why Aoyama wanted to see him, and was also a little speechless at his words.

They've never even met, how can they be considered childhood sweethearts? Are you out of your mind?

"You've never seen me, but I've seen you since you were a child. You were the only successful experiment in the fourth phase of the White Room project, and the White Room manager's proudest creation." Aoyama's calm words came through the phone.

"No wonder you invited me to join the Student Council; all I wanted was a peaceful life."

With an increasingly profound gaze, Ayanokoji stood on the deck like an inorganic object.

Even if his past Naoko were discovered, he wouldn't feel any tension.

Chapter 145 Unreasonable Behavior

"A guy who just wants a peaceful life won't score exactly 50 points in every subject on his entrance exam, not a point more or less."

"The Student Council can even do something like this?"

"The Student Council has quite a lot of power. If you can become the Student Council President, your father will be very happy." Holding the phone in one hand, Aoyama placed the other hand on Kushida's head and ruffled it.

Although he looked somewhat reluctant, Kushida, who was curious about the words "White Room" and "experiment," did not resist.

"I have no obligation to make him happy; Ayanokoji Atsuomi is simply my biological father."

"That makes sense, after all, you were sent to the Laboratory the moment you were born." Aoyama felt a slight pity. "You spent twenty-four hours a day eating, sleeping, and studying, until the day you escaped the Laboratory at fifteen."

"By the way, the butler who helped you escape was driven to suicide by your father, and his academically gifted son was also driven to suicide."

It can be basically confirmed that Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's escape was Ayanokoji Atsuomi Atsume.

However, the butler, who was completely unaware of being used by him, did not receive leniency from Ayanokoji Atsuomi. In terms of being a bad person, the two fathers were cut from the same mold.

"I see, I understand." Ayanokoji's voice remained completely emotionless.

Aoyama smiled dismissively. "You're not even willing to feign sorrow for the fallen? I think you're a bit of a death wish."

The lack of emotion and empathy is one of the reasons why Ayanokoji Atsuomi indulged Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and left the White Room Laboratory. A person who acts like a robot, rational and utilitarian, will not have a place in politics.

No one wants an absolutely rational and ruthless person as their boss.

Only the great melting pot of society can teach Ayanokoji Kiyotaka to disguise himself; the White Room Laboratory doesn't have all sorts of amazing people with different personalities for Ayanokoji Kiyotaka to learn from.

"This shouldn't be something the Student Council Vice President would say, like telling students to die or something."

"Given your personality, you're probably recording something. You can certainly provide the recording to the school." Aoyama smiled, observing Kushida's unpleasant expression. "That achieves the purpose of saying hello. I'll send you a small gift later."

Before Ayanokoji reply, he hung up the phone and casually pinched Kushida's smooth little cheek.

What's it like to have a hidden mastermind among your classmates?

Kushida looked at him in disbelief. "What you just said is all true?"

Although she had a feeling that Ayanokoji was unusually cold, seeing him playing with the Three Idiots, she assumed he was just expressionless and didn't think too much about it.

The idea that she came from Laboratory and that she died two people trying to escape her father's control is just too far-fetched.

"When have I ever lied to you? Ayanokoji Kiyotaka is far more terrifying than me. At least I still cherish the people I care about, but Ayanokoji's emotions have been eroded by the Laboratory."

"Simply put, he's a robot in human skin. Be careful not to reveal your true nature in front of him."

Since Ayanokoji has started to act restlessly, Aoyama reminded Kushida not to easily give Ayanokouji Ayanokoji over him, otherwise he might have no choice but to painfully give up on Kushida.

"What if I'm exposed?"

Aoyama met Kushida's deep gaze. "If you don't do anything similar to betray me again, I might save you."

"Just maybe?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I said I was certain, would you? Right now, we only have a relationship based on mutual benefit. I can only judge whether you're worth saving based on the situation at the time."

"How about Shiina Hiyori instead?" Kushida pouted.

"I think you already had the answer in your heart before you even asked this question." Aoyama smiled teasingly. "I'm not afraid to be blunt with you; I'm a rather arrogant person."

"I will only trust you if I feel that you trust me."