Chapter Thirty-Four: Because You're Defective Too

"Why did you decide it was me?" Suzuki Toru found it interesting.

"Can you tell me what you wrote in that notebook?" Morishita Ai asked him instead.

"No," Suzuki Toru said. "I write a diary in it. A diary is only for me to read."

"But why were you watching me while you wrote in your diary?"

Because I need to write down the wishes you have. I can't rely on my memory alone, can I?

"If I was watching you, then you must have been watching me too. Otherwise, how would you know I was watching you?" Suzuki Toru posed the question like a challenge.

Morishita Ai froze for a moment. She thought it over, unsure how to answer this killer question.

But before she could ponder it for long, Suzuki Toru interrupted her thoughts again.

"How are you feeling now, Morishita?" Suzuki Toru found a place to sit. "Now that you can control everyone's Private Points, does it feel like you've got a lot of power in your hands?"

"It feels like a lot of trouble. Did you push me forward because you didn't want to see Sakayanagi Arisu and Katsuragi Kohei become too divided?"

Morishita Ai hesitated, then followed him and sat nearby, leaving a little space between them. The girl's pert little bottom pressed into the ground, leaving a slight indentation. She drew her calves in and wrapped her arms around her knees, sitting in a classic gym-class pose. The plump, fair skin at the tops of her thighs was exposed, and her delicate little feet rested together, a faint flush on their small, round toes.

"Which do you like more, Classmate Katsuragi or Classmate Sakayanagi?" Suzuki Toru asked.

"What do you think?" Morishita Ai asked in return.

At the same time, as if she had noticed his gaze, the girl's toes twitched and edged a little closer together. Her arms blocked his view.

"Neither of them?" Suzuki Toru looked away from her thighs. "Actually, I don't like being ordered around either."

"I didn't say I disliked them. It's just that with them around, I don't have to do anything, so I don't mind either way." Morishita Ai corrected him quite earnestly.

"I see. What if they both lose?" Suzuki Toru looked at her profile again. A few strands of hair slid off her smooth shoulder and fell against her neck. Her earlobe was as lustrous and soft as jade.

"Before that happens, I'll try a little harder." Morishita Ai was a little displeased. His gaze was practically shameless, yet it didn't seem particularly lecherous. "Does Suzuki Toru have so little confidence in them?"

"Maybe someone else could do a better job."

Morishita Ai stared at him, as if she could see through his thoughts that way.

"You're pretty ambitious, Suzuki Toru."

"If someone could help you graduate from Class A, you wouldn't mind, right?"

"Mm, I wouldn't mind."

"How would you feel if you saw him pay a substantial price?" Suzuki Toru said. "Say graduating from Class A cost Twenty Million Personal Points. If someone spent that many points on you, what kind of person would you think they were?"

Morishita Ai thought seriously for a while, then answered, "Probably a hardworking idiot."

"Why an idiot?" Suzuki Toru asked.

"People should spend points on the right person. I don't think I'm worth that many points," Morishita Ai answered matter-of-factly.

"Let's add a condition. What if those points came with strings attached?"

Morishita Ai suddenly looked at him warily and shook her head. "I'm cute, but I'm not thinking about dating anyone just yet."

"That's only a hypothetical. And have I just been given the 'you're a nice guy' card?" Suzuki Toru felt a little at a loss.

"Because you keep looking me over." Morishita Ai curled her toes. "I don't think someone who stares at a girl would make any normal requests, especially Suzuki Toru, who keeps looking at her feet."

No, it's mainly because of the wishes. That's why I can't help thinking about how to lick your jade-like feet—or how to get you to step on me.

"What kind of request would you be willing to accept?" Suzuki Toru continued.

Morishita Ai hesitated. "Nothing too outrageous... I'd have to hear what you want first."

"What if every request I made could benefit you and everyone else?" Suzuki Toru said. "For example, if I asked you to act as a spy and steal information from another class, would you do it?"

Morishita Ai refused. "I'm not suited to being a spy. My personality is too distinctive. I'd attract attention."

...So you know you're weird too.

"Give me your hand, Morishita," Suzuki Toru said.

Morishita Ai sat motionless, looking at him as if to say, I'm not stupid at all.

"It's a handshake between friends," Suzuki Toru added.

At that, Morishita Ai finally hesitated, then held out one hand, its five fingers clean and fair. He gently took it in his.

A moment later, Suzuki Toru released her little hand, as lightly as a dragonfly touching the water.

"You only have to trust me like this, Morishita."

Morishita Ai pressed her lips together, looking like she was trying not to smile. Then she earnestly held out her hand again.

"Suzuki Toru, let's shake hands one more time."

Though he had no idea what she was thinking, Suzuki Toru took her little hand again. A girl's hand was warm and soft.

"...You really are strange." Morishita Ai watched his reaction. "I guess I'll have to observe you more closely from now on, Suzuki Toru."

"My feet aren't as pretty as yours, so I'll pass," Suzuki Toru politely declined.

Morishita Ai earnestly corrected him. "I wasn't observing your feet."

"What were you hoping to see?"

"I wanted to see... I didn't mean it like that. You're strange in that way."

"Honestly, could you step on me right now?"

While the two of them chatted, Sakayanagi Arisu was watching them from the spectator seats too.

Did the "performance" he'd mentioned mean joking around with a girl from his own class?

Chapter Thirty-Four: Because You're Defective Too

At almost the same time, Horikita Suzune stood in the teachers' office, facing her Class D homeroom teacher.

"I want to know why the school put me in Class D," Horikita Suzune asked without holding back.

The woman before her was a young teacher in her twenties or thirties, dressed in a suit jacket and the sort of tight, fitted skirt common among career women. It had a little stretch to it, outlining the curves of her full thighs. Her legs were held close together, her calves long and straight. Thin black stockings hugged her shapely legs and disappeared beneath her skirt, the rounded line of her bottom just visible. She exuded mature feminine charm.

On the first day of school, this teacher had introduced herself to Class D. Her name was Chabashira Sae.

"That's an unexpected question. Have you already figured something out?" Chabashira Sae raised an eyebrow. She knew what kind of students were in her class.

From any angle, Horikita Suzune shouldn't have been the first person to discover the true nature of the school.

Did someone tell her something?

"Students are placed according to their merits. The best go in Class A, and the worst in Class D," Horikita Suzune said calmly. "I'm confident I got most of the entrance exam questions right, and I didn't make any mistakes in the interview, either. I can't think of any reason I would be placed in Class D."

"You certainly are proud of yourself. I'll admit that your academic ability is excellent. Your entrance exam score was third in your year, which is outstanding. You made no mistakes in your interview, either. If anything, you were highly praised."

Chabashira Sae spoke indifferently. She had already looked through this year's Class D files, and only a few students had caught her attention.

Horikita Suzune was one of them, though it was still unclear how well she would adapt to the school.

The original plan had been to have her work with Ayanokoji Kiyotaka for the class, but she hadn't expected Horikita to come to her so soon.

"Thank you for your praise. But that's exactly why I'm confused."

"Confused... Before that, I want to know how you found out," Chabashira Sae asked, probing. "Who told you?"

"That has nothing to do with the question I'm asking. I just want to know why." Horikita Suzune furrowed her brow, unaware that she sounded as if she were interrogating her teacher.

Teachers had an obligation to explain things when students had questions. They had to provide an explanation of some kind, and they couldn't refuse to answer questions that were within the rules.

Well, if a student didn't ask, there was no need for a teacher to explain.

Chabashira Sae regarded Horikita Suzune in front of her, then slowly spoke. "Being good at studying is one thing, but who told you that students with excellent academic ability could enter Class A?"

Horikita Suzune was taken aback, at a loss for words. She hurriedly said, "But normally, isn't a student's ability judged by their grades?"

"That can't be denied. But the truth is, grades don't represent everything. Even at ordinary high schools, there are students with poor grades who get into university because of their talents." Chabashira Sae spoke calmly and unhurriedly.

Horikita Suzune was momentarily speechless. She couldn't help tightening her lips.

Seeing her like this, a hint of disappointment flashed in Chabashira Sae's eyes, but she continued in the same indifferent tone. "At this school, academic ability isn't everything. Otherwise, students like Sudo and the others couldn't have enrolled. To cultivate truly outstanding talent, your academic ability alone isn't enough, Horikita."

Horikita Suzune fell silent for a moment. "I want to know the school's grading criteria. What exactly did you find unsatisfactory?"

"Don't you understand yet?" A mocking smile appeared on Chabashira Sae's face. "You're in Class D because that's the only class you can be in. That's all."

Her words struck Horikita Suzune's heart like a heavy hammer, one blow after another. Suzuki Toru's cold voice echoed in her ears again. Horikita Suzune gritted her teeth. For the first time in her life, she had been rejected so completely.

It was as if she had turned back into that useless little sister she had once been, even though she had finally caught up with her older brother and had worked so hard to get here.

"Horikita, is that all you wanted to say to me?" Chabashira Sae wondered what was going on. Horikita Suzune shouldn't have known the truth about the class assignments.

But the thought made Chabashira Sae feel a little irritable.

Because Mashima Tomoya's Class A had already discovered the truth about the school, and Class B seemed to have noticed it too. It made her inexplicably anxious.

Class C was also bringing its class together, and it looked like they were about to fight it out for their king.

Looking around the whole year, only Class D was still blissfully unaware.

There was a boy named Hirata Yosuke leading the class, but he was only popular. Like Kushida Kikyo, he didn't have the leadership skills to match.

Chabashira Sae was anxious inside, but maintained a calm expression.

"So the only way to get promoted to Class A is to lead the class upward?" Horikita Suzune asked. "Is there no other way?"

She even knew that much. Whose lips had this information passed through?

Chabashira Sae replied calmly, "You can also use Private Points to force a class transfer. It'll cost you Twenty Million Personal Points, and then you can transfer to whichever class you like."

"Is that all?" Horikita Suzune was disappointed. She didn't want either option: leading that bunch of people to Class A or racking her brains to save up Twenty Million Personal Points.

"If you can't do it, you can just stay in Class D. Is there some reason you absolutely have to reach Class A?" Chabashira Sae asked.

"I refuse to answer that." Horikita Suzune thought calmly. "If I use Private Points to buy more information, how many would I have to pay?"

Chabashira Sae was rather surprised. She suddenly became interested.

"What information do you want to buy?"

"The whole truth about this school. What's going to happen next, how to get Class D promoted to Class A, and what kind of competition this is. Is it an exam or something else?"