Chapter 13

Kato won't let them off, either." I nodded. "Then how do we get our hands on their money? I mean, their points..." Oda asked impatiently. "I'll make them willingly hand over the points they've saved up. Once we have some capital, we can make money with money..." I waved my hand and said.

Volume 1: Rising to Prominence — 5: Know Yourself and Your Enemy; A Hundred Battles, a Hundred Victories

Know yourself and your enemy; a hundred battles, a hundred victories. —The Art of War, "Attack by Stratagem"

After enjoying a cheerful lunch with the small group I'd grown closer to, I returned to the dorm and tidied up my room. For a high school where students boarded for all three years, the accommodations were excellent. Not only did everyone have a room to themselves, but each room also came with a small kitchen, bathroom, and balcony. Appliances like air conditioners, refrigerators, and televisions were available to rent, too. And the school's lax rules even allowed boys and girls to mix freely. They weren't on the same floor, but they could still visit each other whenever they liked. It was far more relaxed than my old boys' school. It practically encouraged everyone to date! But I hadn't seen many older students dating at lunch... Suspicious. As a teenage boy, I curiously rummaged through the materials they'd handed out. "Here it is! 'Romantic relationships that are inappropriate for high school students are prohibited'... Hmm, simple and easy to understand. Not as strict as I'd expected." But... why weren't there many couples? With so much spending money, you'd think there wouldn't be any obstacles to dating. And since this place was full of talented people, there were plenty of handsome boys and pretty girls, too. In theory, the pairing-off rate should be higher than at other schools! But I'd barely seen any boys and girls eating lunch together... Could it be that all the upperclassmen were so absorbed in their studies that they had no time to date? Haha! Clearly, this school still had plenty of secrets waiting to be uncovered! I smiled, set down the materials, and answered Kaneda's call. "Kitazawa! There's a get-together this afternoon. Come hang out with us, would you? Honami Ichinose from Class B and Kikyo Kushida from Class D will be there!" "Who's Kikyo Kushida? I'm not going! I'm catching up on sleep in my dorm this afternoon..." I refused outright, my laziness kicking in. "She's really cute! I hear she wants to be friends with you because you came first in Class C! Don't be shy!" "She wants to make friends with a boy on the first day of school? She must be saying that to every boy. I'm not into that type." I casually came up with another excuse. "It's not just her! Her friends will be there, too. Lots of girls—there's bound to be someone you like." I liked elegant, refined girls, all right? Kaneda definitely wouldn't get it... Still, I might as well take advantage of this and use it to make a connection with Class D. "Will Horikita from Class D be there, too?" I thought of a cool beauty who was unlikely to show up at a gathering like this. Since Ayanokoji had ended up tagging along when I was shopping alone, her social life probably wasn't great. "Horikita? I don't know her... I can ask Kushida in a bit..." "Don't bother. She definitely won't be there. Have fun. I'm going to take a nap, so don't disturb me." "Hey!" I hung up and started enjoying the lovely afternoon. That Kaneda wanted to ride on my coattails? He still had a lot to learn. But good times never lasted long. After half a day of rest, classes would officially begin the next day. As soon as I entered the classroom, the talkative Kaneda started telling me all about yesterday's "spectacular turnout," going on and on without a break. "So those two are the key figures among the girls in Classes B and D, then?" I summed up for him. "That's right... But that's not the point, Kitazawa! They're really easy to talk to, especially Kushida..." "All right, I get it. You've said that several times already. Any news about Class A?" "Class A? Apparently, they stayed behind to elect a class representative on the very first day. Some guy named Katsuragi seems to have won." "So that means only our class hasn't chosen a leader?" "No, Class D hasn't, either. Kushida said there are some students in their class who aren't very interested in group activities..." "Like Sudo, perhaps? What an interesting coincidence..." Classes A and B had leaders already, while Classes C and D were still in the dark? "Coincidence?" "It's nothing... Kaneda, you must've been talking about me behind my back, right?" "Huh!? Of course not!" Kaneda pushed up his glasses and awkwardly shook his head. "Don't pretend. What did you say about me?" "I really didn't badmouth you... I just said you weren't too fond of that noisy kind of scene." "Really?" I didn't trust Kaneda, but if I kept questioning him, he probably wouldn't let anything slip. "Oh! Right! I did ask about Horikita for you!" Kaneda slapped his hand against his forehead as he remembered. "Who asked you to look into her? I was just asking..." I said deliberately. "Heh, Kushida said there really is someone by that name! But Horikita spent all of yesterday by herself. It seems the only person who can talk to her is her neighbor, Ayanokoji. By the way, you've got good taste, Kitazawa." "Ayanokoji? I didn't expect Kushida to be so well-informed." That matched what Kitazawa already knew. "Right? You'd be lucky to get to know Kushida. Next time, I'll bring you along..." "No thanks, Kaneda. I don't want to get to know someone like that." "Why not? Someone like Kushida is practically an angel!" "Is that so? You've already been used by this so-called angel of yours, haven't you? She wanted to use you to get to know me, and you're so willing to do her bidding? Kaneda, I'm not your tool. If I merely didn't support you becoming class leader before, now I'm against you becoming class leader. Are you still okay with that?" "...All right, I understand. I was too forward. I'm sorry, Kitazawa." I waved a hand. "Kaneda, you need to learn how to say no. Otherwise, you're not far from failure. In my opinion, you still lack the qualities needed to be a leader. Even if I don't take part in the competition for power in our class, I don't think you have much of a chance." "How can that be? Other than you, is there anyone else in our class who could take on the role? I've done a thorough investigation..." "Based on one day of investigating? You're being far too presumptuous." I smiled faintly and looked at the empty seat to my left. "You can't even handle Ishizaki, for starters. Just wait and see." "Him? He's just a brute!" "Yeah, that one brute alone can cause you no small amount of trouble. Students like him naturally dislike serious students who do well in their studies. You might be fine if you treat each other as equals, but if you want to take a high position and order him around? That won't be so easy." Kaneda looked thoughtful, but he still didn't quite believe my assessment. But I'd said all I had to say. To someone like me, a peripheral figure in Class C, who led Class C mattered less than who led Class D. If I had to support someone to lead Class C, I'd support someone who could influence Class D, not someone like Kaneda, who was instead influenced by Class D...