Ascending to Class A Alone

When Horikita called out to me, I sensed trouble and quickened my pace, attempting to ignore her.

Catching a glimpse of Ayanokoji also picking up his pace, it seemed we were on the same page.

"Was that score earlier just a fluke? And how exactly are you earning those points?"

Horikita said this as she fell into step beside us.

Clearly, she had no intention of letting us go; it was this topic again, as expected.

But I had no intention of spilling the beans. If I taught Horikita how to work the Chess Club, my own cut would shrink.

"I don't take apprentices. If I taught you how to make money, my share would decrease."

Besides, there were very few people in Class D who could even imitate me.

After all, they had all squandered their points and were now busy running around trying to borrow more.

But walls have ears, and honestly, the last thing I wanted was for other classes to find out about the chess gambling.

"...What a selfish way of thinking."

"This is a method I discovered. How I handle this information is my business. Besides, if we're talking about selfishness, most of the class is far more selfish than I am."

After all, those guys make a racket during class without a care for anyone else. By comparison, I've never caused trouble for my classmates, so I'm doing pretty well.

"Are you done? Then I'm leaving. If you're actually thinking about reaching Class A, I suggest you give up now."

"You're quite bold to say that. Have you already given up just by looking at the current point gap?"

"Not quite. While that's part of it, the gap between Class A and Class D in terms of student quality, motivation, and the strength of their leaders is just too vast."

Considering the mechanics of this school, group confrontations between classes are inevitable in the future.

In group battles, the most important factors are the quantity and quality of troops, cohesion, morale, and the strength of the commanders.

The number of troops is the same for every class, but the quality is worlds apart.

Class D is full of idiots who play on their phones and whisper to each other even in high school classes.

As for cohesion, even with Hirata and Kushida trying to keep things in order, people like Sudo, Ike, and Yamauchi are constantly undermining the harmony.

Of course, Class A isn't exactly united either, split between the Sakanayanagi faction and the Katsuragi faction.

Morale is also in their favor.

After all, only Class A is guaranteed support from the school for further education and employment; they will surely fight to the death to protect their status.

On that point, the Sakanayanagi and Katsuragi factions are in complete agreement.

In contrast, Class D is currently wallowing in apathy, with absolutely no fighting spirit.

Finally, there is the quality of the leaders.

Class A has two commanders. While I'm not close with Katsuragi, Sakanayanagi is absolutely a monster.

If Class D were to choose a leader, it would likely be the popular Hirata or Kushida, but compared to Sakanayanagi, those two are several grades below.

In summary, it is almost impossible for Class D to beat Class A.

I think this analysis is quite objective.

"...So you're saying you have no intention of helping the class?"

Horikita glared at me with displeasure, but I nodded without changing my expression.

"Of course, if there's an activity that requires the whole class to cooperate, I'll help... but don't expect me to help certain people avoid failing grades."

After all, I don't really interact with my classmates anyway, so there isn't much I can do, and besides, they'd only be annoyed if I tried to coach them.

"...If there's nothing else, I'm leaving. Although I can tell from your performance in the guidance room that you have a special obsession with Class A, it doesn't matter to me. Just don't drag me into it."

"Are you content with being treated as a defective product? Don't you want to rise to Class A?"

"Not interested. I came to this school to get away from my parents. If you want a helper, go find Ayanokoji over there."

"Huh? Wait..."

Ayanokoji tried to grab me, but I shook him off and walked away quickly.

Glancing back, I saw that Ayanokoji had already been caught by Horikita.

Sorry, Ayanokoji, you handle her for me.

Just as I was about to contact Shiina and the others, I received a message on my phone.

Shiina said they were killing time in the library.

After reading the message, I changed my shoes and hurried to the library.

Pushing the door open, I found Shiina reading at a seat closest to the entrance, while Sakanayanagi was playing on her phone.

"Sorry for the wait, you two."

Hearing my voice, both of them stood up at the same time.

"We just got here too. But why did you suddenly call us over?"

Shiina asked suddenly.

On the other side, Sakanayanagi rose from her chair with the aid of her cane, wearing a chillingly pleasant smile.

"Let's head to the cafe to talk, anyway. What are you smirking about, Sakanayanagi?"

"It's nothing. I just suddenly realized—I never expected that while Hikigaya-kun was busy provoking me and Shiina-san, he wouldn't even spare Ichinose-san."

As she spoke, Sakanayanagi handed over her phone, the screen clearly displaying a photo of me being tackled into a full embrace by Ichinose.

Cold sweat instantly seeped down my back.

Although I had anticipated being exposed, I hadn't expected to be caught red-handed with photographic evidence so quickly.

Shiina examined the phone with great interest, nodding repeatedly, while Sakanayanagi's smile grew even more radiant.

"Wait! This was an accident that happened when I bumped into Ichinose in the hallway!"

"That's true~ After all, Hikigaya-kun, who hates drawing attention to himself, would never do something like this on purpose."

"Then stop saying things that 'make people misunderstand'!"

This girl was definitely teasing me on purpose.

However, after so many confrontations, my mental resilience had been tempered to be quite tough.

"My apologies. Shall we move to the cafe now?"

Sakanayanagi apologized without a shred of sincerity and began to walk away. I sighed and followed, while Shiina trailed behind with a smile still on her face.

"...So, Chabashira-sensei wants to use me and that guy Ayanokoji to stimulate Horikita."

After we sat down at the cafe, I explained the reason I had been summoned.

"I see. It must be quite exhausting with your personality, Hikigaya-kun."

"Indeed. By the way, Sakanayanagi, do you know Ayanokoji?"

When I threw out this question that had been weighing on my mind, Sakanayanagi's expression shifted into a smile.

But it wasn't her usual playful smirk; it was a fake, mask-like smile.

"...Why ask that all of a sudden?"

"Even if you didn't notice it yourself—your eyebrow twitched just now when I mentioned 'me and that guy Ayanokoji'."

"Your talent for seeing through people's micro-expressions is as astonishing as ever. To be blunt, I do know Ayanokoji-kun, but it is only a one-sided recognition. He shouldn't even know I exist."

Sakanayanagi said this while narrowing her eyes with a look of nostalgia.

I had assumed it was something like an ex-boyfriend situation, but since Ayanokoji didn't know her, there must be some other hidden story.

"I see. Do you need an introduction?"

"No need. I will go see him myself; it is still too early for that."

Sakanayanagi said, her words heavy with hidden meaning.

Although I didn't understand, there was no need for me to meddle since the person involved had said so.

"Fine, I was just being a busybody."

"Please don't mind it. By the way, Hikigaya-kun, are you planning to challenge Class A?"

"Challenge them? Not a chance. Honestly, there's no hope of winning. Even if I were to rise to Class A, I'd do it on my own."

In this school, as long as you have points, you can buy anything—including a seat in a class.

Although it requires a staggering 20 million points, it is far more realistic than trying to promote the entire Class D.

"I see. If that were to actually happen, my amusement would surely double~"

"Hey! You definitely have some ulterior motive with that word choice, don't you?"

I keenly sensed that she had deliberately placed emphasis on the word "amusement."

"But if Hikigaya-kun were to rise to Class A, the extent to which Sakanayanagi-san teases you would surely intensify, wouldn't it?" Shiina suddenly interjected.

"Shiina-san understands me so well~ Teasing Hikigaya-kun is my life's pleasure." Sakanayanagi beamed with a brilliant smile.

"Stop saying things like that with such a saintly smile... Good grief."

I complained with my mouth, but deep down, I wasn't truly angry.

Perhaps I had already grown accustomed to this kind of banter in our daily lives.

Sakanayanagi is in charge of teasing, Shiina occasionally has moments of airheadedness that leave me at a loss, and I sigh at their antics—this is how we get along.

Compared to the tense, hostile days in the Service Club, this current daily routine of bickering is actually quite comforting.

If we could keep living this peaceful, undisturbed life, that wouldn't be so bad.

A few days later, on Sunday...

"I'm starving... I should go get something to eat."

My stomach suddenly growled while I was studying in my room, so I decided to head out for a meal.

After all, since I had just received a large sum of money, I might as well treat myself to some okonomiyaki to satisfy my cravings.

To be honest, in order to save money back in April, I had spent quite a lot of time gnawing on wild vegetable sets.

Just as I was carefully avoiding the eyes of my classmates while heading toward the shopping mall, the phone in my pocket suddenly vibrated.

I pulled it out to take a look and saw an email sent by Shiina.

"I am terribly sorry for the sudden contact, but please come to the central fountain in the shopping mall immediately."

Although this wasn't the first time I had received a summons from Shiina, she had always used polite, indirect questions like "Could you come over for a moment?" in the past.

Using an imperative sentence this time, even with an apology prefixed to it, was quite abnormal.

After confirming that the sender was indeed Shiina and not Sakanayanagi, I quickened my pace toward the shopping mall while wondering if she had made a typo—it didn't really matter anyway, since I was heading that way regardless.

Weaving through the bustling holiday crowds, I found Shiina standing by the fountain just as expected.

However, my gaze was immediately drawn to the boy standing beside her.

This guy was about the same height as me, with long, naturally wavy black hair, but what stood out the most were his aggressive eyes; they were the complete opposite of my own lifeless gaze, radiating an almost combative confidence.

Before I could even open my mouth, the other party took the initiative: "So you're that Hikigaya Hachiman who's been cozying up to Sakanayanagi and Ichinose? You really do have a pair of rotten dead fish eyes."

"These eyes, rich in DHA, look pretty smart, don't they?"

I deliberately misinterpreted his mockery.

The boy chuckled upon hearing this: "Your reaction is quite interesting."

"Cut the crap, you're the one who had Shiina call me here, right?"

Shiina hurriedly bowed to apologize, but I waved my hand to show it didn't matter: "I was coming here to eat anyway. Say what you have to say; I'm starving."

"Oh? Not going to ask who I am first?"

"You're nothing more than the big boss of Class C. Knowing that is enough, and you aren't interested in me personally anyway, are you?"

After all, there was no one else in Class C who would seek me out besides this guy.

"Hahaha!" He suddenly burst into loud laughter, "Fine, I'll treat you to a meal. Care to do me the honor of having a chat?"

"I want to eat okonomiyaki."

"Trying to fleece me the moment we meet? You've got some thick skin."

"Better than a guy who calls people dead fish eyes the moment he meets them."

"We're two of a kind." The boy revealed a jackal-like grin, "But I suppose I should introduce myself—Ryuen Kakeru, the ruler of Class C."