Chapter 37

"Think it over. It's only just begun, hasn't it? If you want to recruit me, you at least need to show me your strength," Ayanokoji finally agreed to consider it, which was a good sign. "Haha! I'm only worried that Class D lacks the strength, and you'll collapse the moment we make a move. By then, we won't need you to defect to us anymore. Defecting now is the best option; there will be money and beautiful women. You can pick whoever you like from Class D, isn't that great?" "Horikita would kill me if I did that... uh... let's hope your prediction doesn't come true... Anyway, let's leave it at that, and we'll be in touch another day." "Sounds good." I didn't push him; planting a seed in Ayanokoji's mind was enough for now. After sending Ayanokoji away, I invited Kobashi Yume from Class B out to understand the current state of Class B.

"I'm really sorry about last time, Kitazawa-kun, for showing that material to Ichinose-san without your permission." The first thing Kobashi did upon seeing me was apologize, which left me a bit confused. Doesn't this just confirm that they are colluding with Class D? It seems she isn't a woman skilled at deception. "It's fine, it's fine. It was just a set of simple review materials; as the top student in the grade, Ichinose-san could certainly have compiled them herself." People who offer favors without cause are either thieves or up to no good. I wanted to see what kind of scheme Class B was cooking up. "It's not just that. Class B allying with Kitazawa-kun's rival is definitely a betrayal of your trust. Ichinose-san also asked me to apologize to you!" Kobashi said, bowing once more. Apologize? Too late! I've already sold your plump and precious Ichinose to Nagumo-senpai as a concubine; go find him to apologize! "It's alright, class competition is class competition, and it doesn't stop us from being friends in private. Please, sit down, order whatever you'd like to drink." "Mm!" Kobashi Yume seemed to have something on her mind, but she finally gathered the courage to ask, "I wonder how Kitazawa-kun views the recent rumors?" "What rumors?" "The rumors that Ichinose-san... is misappropriating class funds to help the underachievers in Class D." Kobashi Yume brought this up very reluctantly; it seems she is quite disgusted by such things. "Even if that were true, I assume Ichinose-san did it with the consent of everyone in Class B, right?" I replied with a smile, speaking first to shut Kobashi down. This was clearly a rumor that Ryuen and I spread to disgust the meddlesome Ichinose and sow discord within Class B! You asked the right person. "Eh? How did Kitazawa-kun know?" "Because I know everything. I even know what you discussed with Ichinose before coming here today," I said with a smile. Kobashi Yume was over twenty minutes late for our date today compared to last time. Since she left the dorms at the same time and she wasn't just taking a shower or something, it was obvious she had been consulting with Ichinose. As a master of reading people, I knew at least that much.

"...Kitazawa-kun really is god-like in his foresight! Then let me ask plainly: did you spread this news, Kitazawa-kun?" "No, I have no reason to spread news that not even people inside Class B would believe. Such news isn't as damaging as a rumor saying Ichinose is only helping Class D because she likes Hirata from Class D." "..." Kobashi pondered for a moment and nodded. "Then, could Kitazawa-kun lend some points to help Class D? We are all students at the same school, after all." "I am helping them, but I charge interest. Besides, it wouldn't matter if they didn't have points; the school provides free food and housing. If Kobashi-san sympathizes with Class D, you shouldn't be helping them." "Why?" "Because giving a man a fish is not as good as teaching him to fish. People have to grow up eventually; you can't help them forever. There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world." "Fine, I will relay this to Ichinose-san. To be honest, personally, I really admire Kitazawa-kun. If only this class competition system didn't exist..." "Actually, society is full of cooperation and competition everywhere. Competition isn't a bad thing, and the relationship between cooperation and competition is dynamic. Just because we aren't in the same class doesn't mean we can't cooperate, right?" "But we are already cooperating with Class D..." "The one cooperating with Class D is Class B; you can cooperate with me! Individuals and collectives are interdependent yet independent." "Kitazawa-kun is so bad! You're trying to incite me to betray my class after only a few words... If I were the type to betray my class, I wouldn't have asked Ichinose-san what to do before coming to this meeting." Kobashi isn't stupid; she naturally understood my subtext. "True, but your own life shouldn't be decided for you by Ichinose. Ichinose can choose to cooperate with Class D, so why can't you choose to cooperate with me? I'm not Class C; I am just me. I am not at war with Class D personally, and I couldn't possibly fight an entire class on my own, could I?" "I don't understand." "I think you do, Yume-san. You are a smart girl. Working hard as a member of Class B doesn't conflict with saving up 20 million private points to transfer classes. Perhaps Ichinose herself has this thought; if she saves up 20 million points, would she transfer out?" "I... I won't let you slander Ichinose-san!" Kobashi clearly trusts Ichinose deeply and was unmoved by my attempts to sow discord. "It's not slander, it's a hypothesis. There's always a 'what if.' Is there a one-in-ten-thousand chance that Ichinose is a partner of Class A? Think about it: why would someone as excellent as her be assigned to Class B? You might think I'm a despicable person, but I received the accurate evaluation of being assigned to Class C! That shows that at least I am a person who is the same on the inside as the outside." "Kitazawa-san is so cunning... By that logic, aren't the people in Class D even worse?" Kobashi sighed, seemingly wanting to debate me. "No, at least people like Sudo, Horikita, Kushida, and Hirata fit the evaluation of Class D. Or rather, the only person in my eyes who doesn't fit that initial evaluation right now is Ichinose." "Ugh, do you really distrust Ichinose-san that much? She's such a good person..." "Good people don't necessarily do good things. If a good person accidentally kills more people while trying to save one, do you still think they're right? Especially if you are the victim... Class C is different. We have the same class funds, but under Ryuen-san's leadership, rewards and punishments are clear, and we only help our own. Think about whether it's good or not, Yume-san." Kobashi couldn't out-argue me and slowly shook her head. "I understand, Minya-kun. By the way, you guys in Class C really are merciless. You just got back from the weekend and started up again. Isn't it not time for exams yet?" "Are you talking about the recent fight? That was Class D looking for trouble, alright? That Sudo is a guy who isn't comfortable unless he's causing trouble every day." "Minya-kun, I don't think someone who was almost expelled would be that arrogant, right?" Kobashi looked at me with disbelief. "I don't know, I'm not someone with strong limbs and a simple mind like him. How would I know his thought process? The stupid things he causes might exceed everyone's expectations." "So, you're saying you weren't involved in this, Minya-kun?"