Chapter 28

"She'd definitely be pretty mean, right?" "I see..." I had no idea what Kushida was thinking. "I get the feeling you have something you want to say, Kushida..." "No, not at all." "By the way! There are lots of pretty girls in Class D, right? Could you introduce me to some, Kushida? Someone like Horikita is out of the question, though." Why should I keep pining after Ayanokoji, that crooked tree, when I could find myself a girl in Class D, just like Kobashi from Class B? I could even put my lecherous reputation to good use... "Kitazawa, you really are just like the rumors say..." "Heh heh, even heroes can't resist beautiful women. I may not be much of a hero, but I do treat women well." "I'm not very good at that sort of thing... But if the opportunity comes up, I could give you some advice. What are you looking for, Kitazawa?" "Well... Looks and elegance aren't that important to me. I mostly like capable girls." "???" Kushida gave me a confused look. "I mean girls who are competent! Like the leader of a group of girls." I clarified. "I see. But the leader of the biggest group of girls in our class, Karuizawa, already has someone." "Already? That was fast." "Well, it is Hirata..." "The second guy on the handsome-boy ranking? All right... What about the other groups?" I hated handsome guys. "For example... me?" Kushida thought for a moment, then suggested herself. "Huh!?" "That's right, Kitazawa! I may not look it, but I'm the leader of a little group too!" Kushida introduced herself with a perfectly straight face. "Well, good for you! But if you started dating someone, how would you keep collecting—no, I mean, making friends?" I asked, a little confused. I was having trouble keeping up with Kushida's way of thinking. "Haha! I was just kidding! Sorry, Kitazawa. I just wanted to see how you'd react!" "(￢_￢) Honestly, Kushida, you shouldn't be so unsure of your own charm." What a little troublemaker! She was definitely getting back at me for what I'd just said. She had so many friends, yet she was still that petty. I couldn't afford to get on her bad side! "So you were actually going to say yes just now, Kitazawa?" "Of course. You're an excellent girl in every way, Kushida..." As if I'd say yes! That scared the hell out of me! Still, that was the polite thing to say. "Thank you, Kitazawa, but I'm not looking for that right now... Anyway, back to the point. I do have a friend who's really wonderful, even if she isn't a group leader. But I'd need her permission before I introduced you." "All right. There's no rush. Get in touch if anything comes up. I'll also look for a chance to deal with Ryuen, but he's been pretty busy lately, so we'll have to wait until after the exams." I figured that once Ryuen had figured out the school's policies, he'd go after Class D first. If he could bring the weakest class to heel, there'd be no need to worry about the rest. Someone like Kushida was good at bringing people together, but she didn't have the authority to lead them. Hirata was the same. As long as Koenji didn't get involved, they couldn't compare with our class. Still, Ishizaki had recently told me Ryuen's gang was smashing cameras and vandalizing school property all over campus. That was so like him! It was a good sign, though. It meant Ryuen wasn't the type to play by the rules. Someone who played by the rules would never be able to handle Sakayanagi from Class A. "Okay! I'll leave it to you, then. I had a great time talking with you today, Kitazawa!" "Me too." Kushida didn't seem like much of a threat to me. They hadn't even managed to organize a proper study group yet. Maybe Class D was doomed in this exam. With all his points, Koenji would naturally become an untouchable presence in Class D. It wouldn't be so bad to let him play emperor in a safe class like that. In a class like Class D, any number of people could get expelled without Koenji being among them... Wait, why had someone as cautious as me already assumed Class D was weak? Starting with zero Class Points was a terrible disadvantage, sure, but something still felt off... Class D... the classes... That's right! The placement rules! Ichinose had been put in Class B, and I'd been put in Class C, so there had to be capable people in Class D too! And in such a harsh environment, the clever ones would hide their talents and wait for the right moment. Otherwise, they'd easily get isolated... I see! Was Horikita isolated because she was capable but didn't know how to hide it? Well, not necessarily. Pretty, capable girls weren't always isolated—Kushida was proof of that... In any case, it couldn't hurt to be cautious. Maybe I should get Ryuen to test Class D? Yeah, that restless guy had probably already started doing just that. Right, it wouldn't be good to leave Class D alone. If that disorganized bunch ever joined forces and became a real threat, we'd be in trouble. Better to strike while they were down and finish them off in one blow. Maybe I should stab Class D in the back right now? Better a short, sharp pain than a long one. I might as well put them out of their misery. They probably hadn't even learned everyone's names yet, right? But where could I start when I didn't have a single foothold? Calm down, Minya. There had to be a way... I ordered another iced latte and stared blankly at the crowds streaming along the shopping street... Huh? Was that Senior Igari? Wait... It was only natural for Senior Igari to tell Kushida about her deal with me involving Koenji. Plenty of third-years knew about it. But there was no way she'd told Kushida about me buying exam answers too, right? Suddenly, a devious plan came to mind. That's right. Buying answers was the easiest way to pass an exam, so it was natural that other people would think of it too. But how many people would be cautious enough to buy more than one set of answers, like me? Heh heh heh... "Senior Momoko!" I called out loudly, instantly drawing everyone's attention. "Kitazawa... I told you not to shout that! Show some respect for your senior, will you?" Igari walked over amid the curious stares of the people around us. "Senior, I need to ask you for a favor." "Now? I have plans later..." "I'll keep it brief. Don't worry, I'll make it worth your while. It'll only take a few minutes..." "All right... You're the boss..." Igari said, glancing at her watch. "You haven't told anyone I bought the answers, have you?" "Tch. Why would I do something pointless like that?" "Good. I need your help delivering a fake test paper. I'll prepare it." As I spoke, I sent Kaneda an email. "A fake test paper... Hey, hey! What kind of grudge do you have against them? You're going this hard right after starting school? You kids really know how to have fun..." "What did you say, Senior? You've done this sort of thing too?" "No comment. So, what next? Sell the fake to Kushida?" Senior Igari rolled her eyes. She knew I wasn't fond of Kushida.