A Reversal of Positions

The seats Yamauchi remained empty.

Katsuragi Kohei has been very worried these past few days, waking up every morning with dark circles under his eyes. However, the good news is that there isn't a single hair left on his shiny bald head, so he doesn't have to worry about the tragedy of losing a handful of black hair while washing his hair.

The root cause of these troubles can be summarized in just five words:

Koenji Rokusuke.

After learning about Class Points and the basic rules for class assignment, Katsuragi Kohei had previously turned a blind eye to Koenji Rokusuke's dissolute behavior, now spends more time staring at Koenji Rokusuke during class than looking at the blackboard!

Every time he saw the other person casually using nail clippers to file their fingernails with their legs propped up on the table, or fixing their bangs in front of a small mirror, Katsuragi Kohei felt as if he were being cut with a dull knife, as if he could see the Class Points plummeting with his own eyes.

Therefore, Katsuragi Kohei has been desperately trying to get rid of Koenji Rokusuke these past two days. After all, he is the most outstanding student in Class A. If it weren't for Katsuragi Kohei, as the class representative, always thinking that Koenji Rokusuke could be saved, and that the student's grades and physique were indeed top-notch, he probably would have already exploded. However, even so, the resentment and dissatisfaction of Class A towards Koenji Rokusuke is constantly increasing.

Clutching the items he had decided to buy from the convenience store yesterday, Katsuragi Kohei headed to Class A.

"Good morning, Katsuragi!"

As soon as he entered the classroom, he heard his classmate Totsuka Yahiko greet him. Katsuragi Kohei smiled at him and then walked toward Koenji Rokusuke's seat.

"Koenji..."

"It's you again, bald boy."

Koenji Rokusuke, who was taking a nap in his chair, opened one eye and spoke.

"Seeing your bald head always ruins my mood."

"How about this?"

Katsuragi Kohei gritted his teeth and took something out of his bag, putting it over his head.

It was a golden wig, the same one Koenji Rokusuke...

This idea was casually suggested to him by Hirata Yosuke in the class a few days ago during a chat. Koenji Rokusuke is someone who cares a lot about his hairstyle and appearance, and likes beauty and hates ugliness. Katsuragi Kohei's shiny bald head is indeed unlikely to win the other party's favor. Why not buy a wig and wear it? It would be best if it was the same blonde hair as Koenji Rokusuke. Maybe it would have a miraculous effect.

Although Hirata Yosuke was only joking at the time, Katsuragi Kohei really considered the matter seriously. After struggling several times but still not seeing Koenji Rokusuke, he reluctantly adopted this ineffective method.

"... Hahahahahaha."

"That's really interesting; this is at least the first time you've made me laugh in the past few days."

Koenji Rokusuke couldn't hold back any longer. After all, Katsuragi Kohei looked awkward in that golden wig no matter how you looked at him, and he slammed his fist on the table, laughing so hard that tears were almost streaming down his face.

"Alright, alright, since you made me happy today, I'll try to follow the rules for the next couple of days, okay?"

Katsuragi Kohei wanted to press his advantage and say a few more words, but Koenji Rokusuke immediately waved his hand and closed his eyes again.

In any case, it's at least a good start.

Katsuragi Kohei breathed a sigh of relief. Although he himself didn't like the clown-like blond wig, if it could keep Koenji Rokusuke in line for a few days and save some more Class A Class Points, then his role as class leader wouldn't have been in vain.

During the morning classes, Koenji Rokusuke was remarkably well-behaved, not making a single fidgety move. He only occasionally glanced at Katsuragi Kohei, who was wearing a wig, with an undisguised smile on his face.

When lunch break arrived, Katsuragi Kohei declined Totsuka Yahiko's and the others' request to eat together, intending to press his advantage and strike up a conversation with Koenji Rokusuke. However, after dealing with a few people, he looked up and realized that Koenji Rokusuke had already left the classroom, so he quickly ran out.

As soon as he entered the corridor, he was spotted by students from other classes. Many girls covered their mouths and snickered. Katsuragi Kohei couldn't stand the stares from all sides and guiltily took off his wig, planning to put it back on when he met Koenji Rokusuke.

After wandering around the Student Cafeteria, they still couldn't find Koenji Rokusuke. His robust physique and striking blond hair should have made him easy to spot in a crowd, but after searching half the campus, they still couldn't find him. Just as Katsuragi Kohei was getting a bit of a headache, he bumped into Hirata Yosuke, who seemed to be heading back to his classroom.

"Hirata, have you seen where Koenji is?"

Katsuragi Kohei had only been trying his luck, but to his surprise, Hirata Yosuke seemed to actually know the other party's location. He looked up, thought for a moment, and said:

"I saw Koenji head towards the infirmary a few minutes ago. Katsuragi, would you like to go look for him there?"

"Okay, thank you very much!"

"Not at all, Katsuragi is doing this for the class. After all, Koenji- kun is really a headache."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Katsuragi Kohei walked into the grove, put his wig back on, and jogged towards the infirmary.

"Matsushita -san, is something bothering you lately?"

During another get-together organized by Kushida Kikyo, she asked Matsushita Chiaki didn't look too well, with some curiosity.

"Please don't hesitate to ask if I can help."

Yagami Takuya from Class 1-B asked with a smile. Kushida Kikyo had also noticed that since the last matchmaking event, Yagami Takuya seemed to have shown some interest in pursuing Matsushita Chiaki. However, she wasn't too surprised, since Matsushita Chiaki was quite pretty and dressed fashionably, so it was normal for boys to be attracted to her.

"The boys in my class are a bit annoying."

Matsushita Chiaki fiddled with the ends of her hair and said with a hint of helplessness:

"Take Ike and Yamauchi, for example. They were making all sorts of lewd jokes in class all day long. I heard they even organized a poll to see which girl in the class was the most... well, you know, with bets on points."

The girls around him also showed expressions of disgust, Yagami Takuya looked extremely indignant, suddenly standing up and shouting:

"I noticed it last time; those two always had lecherous eyes."

Yagami Takuya is handsome and considerate, and the girls all agree with him.

The group then discussed this topic further, which was basically a one-sided venting by Matsushita Chiaki, who was quite dissatisfied, while the other girls mocked and comforted her, and Yagami Takuya grumbled on the side.

After the social gathering ended, Matsushita Chiaki packed up her things and headed towards her dormitory. Soon after, she heard another person's hurried footsteps behind her.

"Matsushita -kun."

"Yagami- Yagami, is there something you need?"

With a flawless smile, Matsushita Chiaki turned around and asked in a friendly manner.

"Ever since last time... I've had feelings for you, Matsushita."

Yagami Takuya perfectly captured the awkwardness and shyness of a young man's Confessions, conveying the emotions in his voice.

He took a step forward and clenched his fist.

"So, after hearing what you said today, I really want to teach those boys a lesson."

"Ah... I'm very grateful to Yagami -kun, but fighting is bad, and I might get disciplined by the school."

Matsushita Chiaki covered her mouth, perfectly portraying the girl's emotional turmoil and shyness after being Confessions.

"It's fine."

Yagami Takuya seemed deeply moved by Matsushita Chiaki's concern for him, and he took another step forward, almost touching Matsushita Chiaki's face:

"I have a plan, and it's just to teach them a lesson, if Chiaki wants to!"

He clenched his fist, subtly changing how he addressed Matsushita Chiaki.

"Sorry... that's too risky, Yagami -kun, there's absolutely no need for that—"

Matsushita Chiaki took a step back and shook her head in rejection:

"There are surveillance cameras everywhere on campus."

"I told you I had a way! I just can't imagine Chiaki being harassed by someone like that every day in class, being bothered by such scum. Just thinking about it..."

Yagami Takuya's emotions erupted; he gritted his teeth, looking like a boyfriend standing up for his girlfriend.

"Our class advisor is the school nurse at the infirmary, so if Chiaki wants to..."

As if to bolster his own persuasiveness, Yagami Takuya began to explain his plan in a low voice.

How much is true, and how much is false?

Sakayanagi Arisu elegantly blew away the tea dust, took a sip of hot tea, and asked Kitagawa Ryo, who was sitting opposite her, with great interest.

Why bother about how much is true and how much is false?

Kitagawa Ryo casually picked up the cane that Sakayanagi Arisu was carrying on her lap and tapped it lightly on the table:

"Everyone has already set up the stage for you. Even though you don't know the Actor or the script, it's okay..."

"Then we'll take the lead."

Chapter 51: The Shift in Positions

"When I go in, I'll say I feel a little feverish. They'll probably put their hand on my forehead to check my temperature, right?"

"Ha, I'm planning to say I have a heart condition, and then I'll definitely convey my feelings to her ears through my strong heartbeat and the stethoscope."

Yamauchi and Ike walked towards the infirmary, laughing and joking. Since it was lunch break, most students were in classrooms or the Student Cafeteria. Besides, the infirmary was usually not frequented by many people, and they hardly encountered any students along the way, so the two of them didn't care at all.

After noticing that the infirmary had come into view, the two stopped their discussion. One started applying a hot towel to his forehead Gaga temporarily warm it up, while the other clutched his chest, groaning in discomfort.

Just as the two approached the infirmary and were about to knock on the door, Yamauchi stopped Ike as if he had noticed something. He held up his hand to make a shushing gesture, gestured towards the room with his lip, and pressed his ear against the wall.

Ike was puzzled by Yamauchi's startled reaction, so he pressed his ear close to the wall, holding his breath to listen to what was happening inside.

"Yes, if you don't believe me, you can log on to the official website of the Koenji Conglomerate. How about that? That proves I have enough funds to complete this transaction, right?"

"... It's actually true."

The former was a somewhat deep male voice, while the latter was a somewhat delicate-sounding female voice.

Yamauchi and Ike's eyes widened in surprise, even for two people who had watched countless films.

Men, women, a secluded infirmary, a transaction—these sensitive words together made Yamauchi swallow hard. He desperately winked at Ike, signaling the petite and more agile Ike to lean out the window and check the situation.

Chi climbed up and peeked inside. He didn't dare look too closely, but instead pulled up a photo on his phone—a photo that had been widely circulated in their class's boys' group a couple of days ago:

The man in the photo has a striking blond head and a robust physique. He appears to be in a coffee shop, surrounded by three or four upperclasswomen, leisurely enjoying being fed by one of them.

"It's him."

Ike made the comment because he and Yamauchi were quite dissatisfied at the time. Even after learning that the other party was Koenji Rokusuke Class A and the heir to the Koenji Conglomerate, he would still often resentfully say things like, "Gold-digging girls are too materialistic."

After all, the other party was living the life these two brothers had always dreamed of.

Upon hearing Ike's reply, Yamauchi him as if he had caught the other man red-handed. He took out his phone and handed it to Ike, intending to have him take a couple of photos, determined to ruin this damned social butterfly's reputation.

"Who?"

Perhaps the two men were making too much noise, because after a moment of silence, a sharp shout from a man suddenly rang out, startling the two men clinging to the wall. They instinctively turned and tried to run away.

After all, the two of them hadn't yet obtained any evidence against each other. If Koenji Rokusuke found out, their future would definitely be difficult. Ike and Yamauchi exchanged a glance and ran off in different directions.

But just as the two turned their backs and ran a few steps, they were struck hard twice on the back of the neck, and with a muffled groan, they fell straight to the ground.

About five minutes later, Katsuragi Kohei pushed open the door to the infirmary and bowed to the school nurse Hoshinomiya Chie.

"Thank you so much, I feel much better."

"Katsuragi, please don't overwork yourself these next few days. You can listen to some soothing music by yourself, relax, and clear your mind."

"Yes."

Katsuragi Kohei rubbed the wig on his head. He had only come here because he was following the possible whereabouts of Koenji Rokusuke, but the school nurse on duty Hoshinomiya Chie, noticed that he looked unwell and forcibly dragged him to the infirmary for a basic check-up. She then let him lean back in the chair and listen to some soothing instrumental music and white noise, allowing him to take a comfortable nap.

However, he was indeed in much better spirits. Katsuragi Kohei took a deep breath and said goodbye to Hoshinomiya Chie.

After Katsuragi Kohei left, Hoshinomiya Chie breathed a sigh of relief. She turned around, Yagami Takuya happened to walk over from the other side, with his usual sunny smile on his face, showing no trace of the ruthlessness he had just displayed.

"Where did you learn this?"

With a complicated look in her eyes, Yagami Takuya Hoshinomiya Chie casually asked a question.

"They had specialized in combat techniques before, and the two of them were only knocked unconscious; they were not seriously injured."

"But won't you be adding to their wounds soon?"

"Is Hoshinomiya teacher considering giving up again?"

Faced with Yagami Takuya's questioning, Hoshinomiya Chie rubbed her temples. As the school nurse, she had followed his instructions to cut off the surveillance cameras in the infirmary today and faked it as an accidental short circuit. From that moment on, she had already been dragged onto this pirate ship.

"Let's continue."

Hoshinomiya Chie put her hands inside her white coat. Her phone vibrated in her pocket. She glanced at the screen and then turned and left.

Perhaps among the four classes in the First Year, she was actually the one with the lowest professional ethics.

Even Chabashira Sae initially harbored the dream of leading Class D to promotion.

Hoshinomiya Chie shook her head and answered the phone.

She knew herself very well; her purpose in coming to this school as a homeroom teacher was solely to get revenge on Chabashira Sae from back then.

Every class of students she taught, especially those in Class B, gave her the same evaluation: she was more like a friend to each student than a homeroom teacher, acting like an older sister.