Where did little delinquent bosses end up? Probably dead at the hands of some clueless hothead. They could rely on brute force to look cool and win fights countless times, but they only had to lose once. They were all carbon-based lifeforms, and a small knife could easily break through their defenses.
There were countless stories of big-shot gangsters dying at the hands of some clueless underling.
Compared to metal, people were fragile. That was why laws existed to protect people and restrain violence.
The delinquents in Class C relied on their little tricks to extort people. All it took was one slipup, and they'd be doomed.
They probably wouldn't last through even a simple prisoner's dilemma.
Ordinary students didn't have that much willpower. After all, they were only breaking school rules, not going to prison, and the cost of betraying someone was tiny. In the end, the chain reaction would pull everyone down, and they'd inevitably collapse completely.
Anyone who likes going all in knows the wind can get pretty strong on a rooftop.
Unlike gamblers, smart people wouldn't put their fate in someone else's hands.
"Hmph. If Ryuen dares come to Class D, I'll make sure he never leaves."
"What a coincidence, Nagami."
"Oh, isn't this the Student Council President? I'm truly honored that you recognize me, President."
"Enough with the pleasantries. So, you haven't joined a club yet, have you? Are you interested in the Student Council?"
(The Student Council oversaw club expenses and approvals. It was easy enough to find that out.)
"The Student Council at Advanced Nurturing High School has far more power than the student councils at ordinary schools. If we want to, we can even change the school rules."
Horikita Manabu, the Student Council President and a student in Class 3-A.
"Amazing. But, senpai, my social skills are at zero. I'd have a hard time handling relationships between students."
"Joining the Student Council might cause you trouble, senpai."
"You're quite the dishonest underclassman. You're so practiced at pleasantries that it's hard to believe you're bad at socializing."
Tachibana Akane, the Student Council secretary and a student in Class 3-A.
"Forget it. I hope you change your mind before long. This school is far from ordinary."
"You're welcome to come see me in the Student Council Room anytime."
(Horikita... Could he be Horikita Suzune's older brother?)
(I'll ask Ichinose on Line. Kushida is busy looking for witnesses.)
I picked up my phone.
"Nagami, what's up? Why are you calling out of the blue?"
"The Student Council? That upperclassman is so strict. He rejected every first-year who applied before."
"But Nagumo-senpai, the vice president promised to bring me into the Student Council in my second year. Watashi is their trainee now."
(As far as I knew, nobody from Class D had applied or been rejected. Things were getting interesting.)
"Oh, Ichinose, I think I understand what happened. I also know why you were rejected."
"Nani, nani? What's the reason? Tell me, Nagami."
"Hehe, it's a secret. It's not time yet."
"Fine. ＞﹏＜"
"Sorry, little angel. I'll make it up to you sometime. Bye."
"Wait—"
I hung up.
(There's no way I can tell her. The Student Council President is on Class D's side. I'll have plenty of chances to make use of that later.)
(If that got out, it would undoubtedly hurt Class D.)
(I'll fish for details about the Special Exam rules, then coax some points out of him.)
(Sorry, little angel. I'll make it up to you later.)
I typed the Student Council Room's landline number into my phone. It was answered quickly.
"It's me, Chang Shui Jing."
"Made up your mind that quickly, underclassman?"
"President, I've made up my mind. I don't plan on joining the Student Council, but... how about this... and then this..."
"So if you lose, you'll join the Student Council? You've got some nerve. I look forward to seeing how you do in the Special Exam. Don't disappoint me."
Keyaki Mall
When Kushida stopped Sakura, she accidentally knocked her camera over.
A search for the title turned up nothing. Maybe try searching for the author instead. It might have just been renamed!
They had to return to the mall to get it repaired.
"Sorry, Sakura. I accidentally dropped your camera and broke it."
"It's okay. My camera's still under warranty."
Sakura's body trembled as she spoke, especially by the shop entrance.
[Why is Sakura so afraid of the shop?]
"Oh, no, this won't do. It might be a power issue. It won't be that easy to fix. Do you have the warranty card? The warranty card?"
The shop clerk stared at Sakura as he spoke.
"Oh, it's still under warranty. It'll take about two or three days. We need some important information, especially your phone number and address."
The clerk's lecherous gaze swept up and down Sakura, lingering for a long time on her chest.
Sakura was trembling badly and couldn't get a word out.
"I'll fill it in."
"Hey, that's a bit—"
"The manufacturer requires a warranty card, right? Are there any other conditions?"
"Sakura, let's go."
After we left the shop,
"Sorry, I have a prior engagement. I'll be going."
Kushida said.
"Ayanokoji, thank you."
"No problem."
"Why didn't you say anything just now?"
"Because your eyes were surprisingly not scary. A lot of the boys I've met don't have that... feeling that I can trust them."
"Yeah, actually, I saw it too. But Sudo's usually pretty awful. He cuts in line and gets into fights all the time. He's a bad person, so I didn't want to come forward and testify."
"Ayanokoji, do you think I should have spoken up?"
"Just be yourself."
"Huh? Be myself? What does that mean?"
"Whether it's for your classmates, for fairness, or for Sudo, just respect what you feel inside. You don't have to think too much or burden yourself with too much."
"Yeah, Ayanokoji, you really are a kind person."
"Maybe."
"Ayanokoji-kun, look at this photo."
"Shizuku—no, Sakura? The photos you post online are surprisingly bold."
"Uh, I guess I can only show my real self online. That's why I upload photos so often."
"A few days ago, I got a letter from a fan online. He said he'd been watching me all this time and really wanted to be with me, and other creepy stuff like that."
[Could it have been that shop clerk?]
"Ayanokoji-kun, can you protect me?"
"Of course. Call me if anything happens. Let's add each other on Line."
"Okay!"
Sakura's selfie had captured the scene. She took part in the discussion, which began at three thirty.
A hearing hosted by the Student Council President.
For a moment, Horikita glanced at her older brother, but when she realized he wasn't going to acknowledge her, she lowered her gaze and sat down in front of the Class C students.
"I'll be presiding over this assault case with Secretary Tachibana. Everyone involved, along with the homeroom teachers, will have a chance to speak. To ensure fairness, I've invited Hoshinomiya-sensei from Class B and her students to observe."
Class C had only witness testimony, while Class D also had physical evidence. The Class C student had been seriously injured, so compensation was only reasonable. That was true even if the photos showed someone throwing a punch.
The two sides couldn't reach an agreement. The meeting ended badly.
Unexpectedly, the next day, Class C voluntarily withdrew its complaint to the Student Council President.
The Two Loners began to make their move.
(It looked like they'd used some kind of method to make the Class C students give in.)
(The Two Loners were pretty capable.)
That was what Nagami thought as he heard Sudo thank Horikita in the classroom.
Before you continue