B Class Observation

The best kind of daily life was one where you could slack off.

Over the next dozen or so days, Hoshino enjoyed a few peaceful days. He went to class on time every day, and occasionally chatted with Ayanokoji, though most of their conversations were pretty pointless. Hoshino also noticed that Ayanokoji seemed to be on rather familiar terms with the girl sitting beside him.

Sometimes, Hoshino even saw Kushida in the hallway outside the classroom, going to talk something over with Ayanokoji.

All in all, life was fairly uneventful, which suited Hoshino just fine.

Later, Kushida came to see Hoshino, too. The gift she brought was just a small snack, which was well within what he could accept. If anything, that was probably better. It meant he didn't have to feel so indebted to her. Kushida really did have a talent for this sort of thing! She always knew how to offer just the right amount of kindness. Even if it was only skin-deep, it was still genuinely touching.

Come to think of it, people were basically shallow creatures, weren't they? Hardly anyone cared about what was on the inside. Most people cared about your appearance and other things on the surface.

And so, the days passed until two days before the end of the month.

Throughout this time, Hoshino had continued not paying attention in class as usual. He slacked off on his own, and did so more and more often. After all, not many students in his class were paying attention either. Judging by Hoshino's estimate, they probably didn't have many points left. Besides, for his plan to work, he couldn't let the class keep many points.

Now it was time to do what he had planned.

Which class should he choose? Hoshino was a little torn. He didn't really have a grasp of the whole year, so he'd have to screen them one by one. He wasn't sure what to do.

At least Class A would be a difficult target. It would be hard to provoke any conflict with them. After all, Hoshino had already become vaguely acquainted with Sakayanagi, and from their conversations, he was fairly sure she was something like the leader of Class A. It was undeniable that most of the students in Class A were quite capable, so it would be hard to provoke them. He'd have to pay a much higher price, which would go beyond what Hoshino had in mind.

It looked like he was better off choosing someone from Class B or C. There were also plenty of people in Class D he could approach, but Class D was basically a loose collection of individuals at the moment. It would be hard to find someone he could easily handle. They might even stab him in the back. There was no need for that. He should scout out Classes B and C as soon as possible and look for a suitable target.

Having decided on his course of action, Hoshino didn't waste any time. The deadline was fast approaching, so as soon as class ended, he hurried out of the classroom.

He called it scouting, but how was he actually supposed to go about it? Hoshino's only way of observing people was to lurk in a corner and watch them. He never casually walked up to people to strike up a conversation. Ayanokoji was the exception.

"Maybe I should stop someone and ask them directly?" Hoshino leaned against the wall outside Class B's classroom, at a loss.

On second thought, he might as well forget it. He wouldn't get anything useful out of asking.

Taking out his student ID, Hoshino pretended to look at his phone while observing the students in the classroom out of the corner of his eye through the windows.

Class B had a clear central figure. Many students were gathered around a beautiful girl with golden-pink hair. Though there were a lot of them, the conversation flowed in an orderly fashion. She was probably the class leader.

There were cliques, too, but most were made up of just two or three people. They chatted and laughed together, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

After observing them for ten minutes, Hoshino felt that Class B was honestly a little too harmonious. They didn't seem like the kind of class anyone needed to worry about. They felt like a bunch of "good people." At least, Hoshino hadn't noticed anyone being deliberately excluded, nor the slightest trace of awkwardness or tension.

Class B was a tough one to figure out! Hoshino couldn't help feeling a little envious.

Class D was the complete opposite! You could tell that people who didn't know each other were in a "we'll never speak to each other" sort of situation. There was a strict hierarchy even within the cliques, and some people were left "on their own." The class was a complete "loose collection"!

After finishing his observation of Class B, Hoshino went to the classroom for Class C.

Class C was worlds apart from Class B. Even just looking at them, Hoshino could feel a stifling atmosphere, though some students were still gathered together chatting.

Several especially burly-looking people were gathered around a red-haired boy. There was also a dark-skinned "foreigner." It was strange: there was practically no one near their group. It seemed like everyone was avoiding them.

"Hey, you snooping outside! Get in here!" The red-haired student glared at him, his voice menacing.

The classroom fell silent. Everyone turned to look, and the faces of the students beside the red-haired boy darkened.

Hoshino ignored them and kept looking at his phone as if nothing had happened. Who would be dumb enough to admit it? Maybe they weren't talking about him.

"Hey, you! If you keep pretending, I won't mind dragging you in myself."

"Huh? Me?" Hoshino pretended he had only just heard the voice and looked confused. Seeing no one else around, he pointed at himself.

"Still pretending?"

"No, no. I was just looking at my phone outside your classroom. I wasn't snooping." Hoshino put away his phone and met the red-haired student's gaze with "righteous indignation."

"Hey, what class are you in?" A blue-haired girl beside the red-haired student glared at Hoshino, taking up a defensive stance.

"Uh... I'm Masayoshi Hashimoto from Class 1-A." Hoshino lied with a straight face.

"...Are you trying to get yourself killed? Do you think I don't know that blond playboy?" The blue-haired girl looked "ready to grind her teeth to dust."

"...Uh, haha. Just kidding. I'm Hoshino from Class 1-D. I'll say it again: I, Hoshino, wasn't snooping." His lie exposed, Hoshino felt a little awkward, but quickly recovered and once again insisted he was "innocent."

"You..."

"Hey, kid. You know there's a price to pay for snooping, right?" The red-haired student waved a hand to stop the blue-haired girl from saying anything else, a hint of contempt on his face.

"...What price? I don't have any points to give, and I'm not giving up my life either." Hoshino wore a flippant smile.

Hoshino had plenty of experience dealing with people who felt like "demon kings." All he had to do was act casual and provoke them. It would be even better if he could get into a fight, though he seemed like he would be the one taking the beating!

Hoshino was beginning to understand this class! The red-haired student had probably become its leader by ruling as a "tyrant." He had a Band-Aid on his face, and though it was faint, there were still traces of scrapes.

This was just the kind of person Hoshino had been looking for. Now all that remained was figuring out how to start a conflict. For safety's sake, he would need to keep it under control.