Chapter 13

...they won't let it go, that's for sure." I nodded. "Then how do we get the money in their hands? I mean the points..." Oda asked impatiently. "I want them to willingly hand over the points they've saved up. Once we have the capital, we can use money to make more money..." I said with a wave of my hand. Volume 1: First Glimpse of Talent : 5 Know Yourself and Your Enemy; A Hundred Battles, A Hundred Victories. Know yourself and your enemy; a hundred battles, a hundred victories. -- Sun Tzu: The Art of War After enjoying a pleasant lunch with the small group I had grown closer to, I returned to the dormitory to tidy up my living space. As a high school with full boarding for three years, the accommodation conditions were quite excellent. Not only was it a single-occupancy room, but it also came with a small kitchen, a bathroom, and a balcony. Appliances like air conditioners, refrigerators, and televisions could also be rented. Not to mention the relaxed management regarding co-ed living; although we weren't on the same floor, we could visit each other freely, which was far more relaxed than my time at the boys' school. It was practically encouraging everyone to date! However, I didn't see many upperclassman couples eating lunch... suspicious. As a teenage boy, I curiously flipped through the materials provided. "Got it! Prohibiting romantic relationships inappropriate for a high school student... hmm, simple and easy to understand, not as strict as I imagined." But... why weren't there many couples? Logically, with such a large amount of pocket money, there shouldn't be any obstacles to having a boyfriend or girlfriend. Plus, being a place where talent gathered, there were plenty of handsome men and beautiful women; theoretically, the pairing rate should be higher than at other schools! But at noon, there were almost no male-female pairs eating together... Could it be that the seniors were all obsessed with studying and had no time for romance? Haha! As expected, there were still many secrets in this school waiting to be discovered! With a faint smile, I tossed the materials aside and answered the call from Kaneda. "Kitazawa! There's a party this afternoon, you should do me the favor of coming along! Honami Ichinose from Class B and Kikyo Kushida from Class D will be there!" "Who is Kikyo Kushida? Not going! I'm catching up on sleep in the dorm this afternoon..." My laziness took over, and I refused flatly. "She's a very cute girl! I heard you're the top student in Class C and she wants to be friends with you! Don't be shy!" "Wanting to be friends with a guy on the first day of school? She must be saying that to every guy, right? I don't like that type." I casually made up another excuse. "It's not just her! There are her friends too, lots of girls, there's definitely someone you'll like." I like the elegant type, okay? Kaneda, you definitely wouldn't understand... But playing along with the mistake and using this to establish a connection with Class D wouldn't be bad. "Is Horikita from Class D there too?" I thought of the cold beauty who was unlikely to appear at such a gathering. Judging by how she was pestered by Ayanokoji when she was shopping alone, her interpersonal relationships shouldn't be very good. "Horikita? Don't know her... I can ask Kushida for you in a bit..." "No need to ask, she's definitely not there. Have fun, I'm going to take a nap! Don't bother me." "Hey!" Hanging up the phone, I began to enjoy the beautiful afternoon. This Kaneda, trying to borrow my influence, he's still too green. But good times always pass quickly; after half a day of rest, formal classes were set to begin the next day. As soon as I arrived in the classroom, the noisy Kaneda began to tirelessly introduce me to the "grand occasion" of yesterday. "So, the core figures among the girls in Class B and Class D are these two, right?" I summarized for him. "That's true... but that's not the point, Kitazawa! They are really easy to talk to, especially Kushida..." "Alright, I know. You've already said that several times. Any news from Class A?" "Class A? It's said they stayed behind on the first day to elect class officers, and it seems it ended up being a guy named Katsuragi." "So, we're the only class that hasn't determined a leader yet?" "No, Class D hasn't either. Kushida-san said their class also has some students who aren't very interested in collective activities..." "Like Sudo? An interesting coincidence..." A and B have leaders, while C and D are still in the dark? "Coincidence?" "Nothing... Kaneda, you definitely sold me out, didn't you?" "Eh!? How could I?" Kaneda pushed up his glasses, shaking his head awkwardly. "Don't pretend. What did you say about me behind my back?" "I really didn't badmouth you... I just said that you, Kitazawa, don't really like this kind of noisy style." "Really?" I didn't believe this guy Kaneda, but if I kept asking, he probably wouldn't let anything slip. "Oh! Right! I did help you ask about Horikita-san!" Kaneda clapped his hands, remembering. "Who asked you to help me ask? I was just asking you..." I said intentionally. "Hehe, Kushida-san said there is indeed such a person! But Horikita-san was alone all day yesterday; it seems only the student sitting next to her, Ayanokoji, could talk to her. Speaking of which, you have a good eye, Kitazawa." "Ayanokoji? I didn't expect this Kushida to be so well-informed." This information matched the information in Kitazawa's hands. "Right? Getting to know Kushida, you've earned it. Next time I'll take you with me..." "Forget it, Kaneda. I don't want to know that kind of person." "Why? Someone like Kushida is practically an angel!" "Is that so? You've already been used by the so-called angel you speak of, haven't you? Wanting to use you to get to know me or something, and you're so willing to work for her? Kaneda, I'm not your tool. If before I was just not supporting you to become the class leader, now I am actively opposing you becoming the class leader! Is that okay too?" "...Alright, I understand. It was my rashness, I'm sorry, Kitazawa-san." I waved my hand: "Kaneda, you need to learn to refuse, otherwise you aren't far from failure. In my opinion, you still lack the necessary qualities to be a leader. Even if I don't participate in the competition for class power, I don't think your chances of winning are high." "How could that be? Besides you, is there anyone else in the class who can take on this position? I've specifically investigated..." "Just based on one day of investigation? Aren't you being too arbitrary?" I smiled slightly and looked at the empty seat on the left that hadn't been filled yet, "Not to mention others, you can't even handle Ishizaki. If you don't believe me, just wait and see!" "Just because he's a brute?" "Yes, just because he's a brute, he can cause you quite a bit of trouble. You have to know that students like him have a natural aversion to serious students who are good at studying. It would be fine if you got along as equals, but you want to hold a high position and order him around? That won't be so easy." Kaneda was thoughtful, but still didn't quite believe my judgment. However, I've said all I can. Who is the leader of Class C is less important to me, an outsider, than who is the leader of Class D. If I had to support someone to lead Class C, I would support a leader who could influence Class D, rather than someone like Kaneda who is instead influenced by Class D.