Chapter 26

They agreed obediently; they were never the type to be good at studying anyway. Many people looked at me, having been mentioned by Ryuen repeatedly, so I could only shrug helplessly, feigning a look of having no other choice. "The girls who haven't been assigned specific tasks yet and the rest of the boys, just do your best to get a high score. I've already requested each of your entrance exam scores from Sakagami-sensei. Anyone who scores lower than that, prepare to face my wrath! Of course, I'm also a reasonable person. Those who score well will be rewarded with an invitation to our class celebration party! My treat! That is all." You're treating us, but I'm the one paying the points, right? Fine! Ryuen! You certainly don't feel the pinch when spending other people's money! After Ryuen finished speaking, he leaped off the podium and walked out the door without looking back, with Yamada following closely behind, leaving the students of Class C in a state of disarray. "Ibuki-san, are you okay?" I first turned around to check on Ibuki in the back row. But Ibuki clearly hadn't recovered from the anger of being shoved, and she pushed me back in return. Fortunately, Kaneda was quick-witted and caught me, otherwise, I would have had an intimate encounter with the Class C classroom floor. Ibuki glared at me, grabbed her bag, and left, showing no intention of joining the discussion. "Sigh... what is this mess! Kitazawa-kun, I told you long ago that you should be our leader! Now look... how is this going to end?" Nishino asked from the side. "I'm going to report this to the school! A guy like Ryuen deserves to be expelled!" Before I could speak, Nomura, who had been hit, said just that. "Everyone, calm down. Reporting this to the school won't do us any good; it will only result in a deduction of our class points, right?" Kaneda advised him. "Besides, it wasn't Ryuen who struck, but his subordinate Yamada. If the school punishes Yamada, you'll definitely be retaliated against by Ryuen." "So we're just going to let him be this arrogant?" Nomura asked bitterly. "For now, we have no other choice. Besides, the strategy Ryuen mentioned isn't wrong. Our focus should be on the exams, not internal strife. Right, Minya?" Kaneda said, playing along. "Yeah, let's see if this guy Ryuen has the ability he claims to have. High school is three years long. If Ryuen keeps causing trouble everywhere, he'll eventually be targeted by the school authorities. When that time comes, we can rightfully take him down." "But... if we just let a delinquent lead us, won't we be in danger?" Manabe asked. "It shouldn't come to that. Ryuen made it very clear: he wants to lead us to Class A. As long as we don't go against him, we should be fine, right? Everyone, be careful from now on. Don't provoke him to his face. If you have any opinions, you can come to me, and I'll try my best to communicate with him. How about that?" I brought out the speech I had planned long ago. This way, I could legitimately communicate with Ryuen. "Act as our intermediary with him? At this point, I suppose that's the only way... But won't you be in danger, Kitazawa-kun?" Nishino seemed quite worried about me. Am I destined to be a man burdened with heavy sins? "It's fine. My strength is that I have a way with words. Although Ryuen is a thug, he's still human. If I cater to his interests, there will definitely be a way to communicate. Everyone, don't be afraid. Let's treat today's incident as an accident. Nomura-san, come with me to the infirmary later." "Then I'll leave it to you, Kitazawa-kun!" By stepping up under the pressure of Ryuen, I gained the favor and trust of most of my classmates. Of course, except for someone like Shiina, who sat at her desk in a daze without saying a word. Speaking of which, this girl is really calm! A fight just broke out, hey! Give me some reaction! Girls these days are truly something else... In any case, the chaos in the class finally subsided, and Class C finally had a nominal leader. Should I say, as expected of high school students? After the brief shock, everyone successfully returned to their daily routines. After all, for the average person, it doesn't really matter who the class leader is, because it's not them anyway. They just need to follow the crowd. That's right, humans are "gregarious," or to put it nicely, social animals. It's perfectly normal for such a herd effect to occur. Ryuen is hard to deal with? That's Kitazawa and the others' problem; what does it have to do with me? That is exactly the effect I want to achieve. Like the conglomerates in the US, I control public opinion and guide power, but I never appear on the front lines. I will never be the one who ends up taking the blame. This is the life philosophy of a small-time companion reader like me. Well, come to think of it, the profession of a companion reader really suits me... How well I study doesn't matter; I'm just here to accompany. Or rather, if the person being accompanied is overshadowed by the companion, that would be a huge problem, wouldn't it? The future Class C will be like this. Even if Ryuen is expelled, there are still substitutes like Ibuki, Kaneda, Shiina, Ishizaki, and others lining up one after another. I don't believe that with so many people sacrificing themselves, I won't be able to pave my way to Class A? If that happens, then I must be the one being targeted. Eh? Did I just say "sacrifice"? You must have misheard. How could someone as harmless and weak as me possibly do that...

Volume 1: First Signs of Brilliance : 15 The best way to maintain a friendship is not to betray a friend. The best way to maintain a friendship is not to betray a friend. -- Theo Phrastus "Minya, Kushida from Class D wants to see you this weekend." This time, Kaneda had learned his lesson and acted as a proper messenger without any emotional bias. "What a troublesome person! She's been holding a grudge against me since the last incident..." I scratched my head in frustration. To be honest, I don't want to have any interaction with a social butterfly like her. Whether as a friend or an enemy, it's all very troublesome and reminds me of those annoying people from middle school. "A grudge? The last time was just a small matter, wasn't it?" "Of course, Satoru. You have to know, a woman's heart is not as broad as it appears. If even Ichinose remembers such a 'small matter,' Kushida will definitely remember it too." "Then do you want me to help you refuse her?" Kaneda asked. "No, please make sure to agree to it." Last time I refused her, she exposed the fact that I held a large amount of points. If I refuse her this time, who knows how she'll spin it? I just want to be a quiet, ordinary high school student! It's not my fault that I have money! It's Koenji's fault, okay? Without Koenji, that ticking time bomb who could cause trouble at any moment, why would I have exchanged so many points? "Understood." Kaneda looked at me with an expression that suggested he didn't quite understand but was impressed. Thus, with Kaneda's help, Kushida and I arranged to meet at a cafe called Palette. Honestly, this place has such low taste... This kind of coffee can only fool these poor students. Before I had taken two sips of the coffee I ordered, I sat on the chair in front of the shop and started zoning out. Fortunately, Kushida didn't arrive too late. Dressed in casual clothes and having clearly put in some effort, she appeared before me, quite an eye-catching sight. "Sorry, Kitazawa-kun. Have you been waiting long?" Just that apology with her hands pressed together makes it hard for anyone to feel dissatisfied. "I actually haven't been here long... Waiter, bring this young lady a cappuccino!" I ordered for her like a gentleman. As for whether she likes it or not, who cares! It's good enough that someone is treating her... "Thanks! Kitazawa-san is just as generous as the rumors say!"