A Sudden Interrogation

[Airi Sakura: Um, thank you for today.]

[Toru Hasegawa: Don't mention it. If anything, I went a bit too far, so I apologize.]

After they parted ways, a message from Airi Sakura immediately popped up on Toru Hasegawa's phone.

It seems communicating with her via chat is the better option.

Thinking this, Toru Hasegawa continued to exchange messages with her sporadically.

Then, he ran into Masayoshi Hashimoto on the road.

"What a coincidence, meeting you here." The speed at which Masayoshi Hashimoto raised his hand was beyond what Toru Hasegawa had expected.

He cast a suspicious glance his way: "I don't think this is a coincidence. How did you find me?"

Although all students at the school were prohibited from leaving the school grounds without permission, the probability of two people meeting on such a massive campus was still incredibly low.

Coupled with the other party's overly prompt greeting, it was hard for Toru Hasegawa not to suspect something was fishy.

"Oh, you caught me?" Masayoshi Hashimoto scratched his head, though there wasn't a hint of embarrassment on his face. "Actually, it's because of this, this right here."

As he spoke, he explained the reason to Toru Hasegawa in detail.

"As long as you use the school-issued phone and log into your friends list, you can see the current location of the other person."

Toru Hasegawa saw his own location on Masayoshi Hashimoto's phone: on the tree-lined path outside the Special Building, accurate to the dot.

"Tsk, I don't even want to imagine what you've been using this feature for until now." Toru Hasegawa gave him a look as if he were staring at trash.

Having this would allow one to secretly stalk female friends; it's truly pathetic.

Though, the fact that he himself immediately thought of that point is also pretty pathetic...

Masayoshi Hashimoto cried foul: "I haven't! This is the first time I've used this feature, okay? And you're the only person I've used it on."

Why does that make it feel even more disgusting?

Toru Hasegawa was just thinking about how to get away from the guy, but his hand had already subconsciously tapped open the friends list.

There were nine friends neatly listed, only three of whom were male.

Well, let's see whose location is more convenient, shall we?

"Hey! You're the one with the impure motives, aren't you?" Masayoshi Hashimoto protested immediately upon seeing Toru Hasegawa staring blankly at his phone screen.

"Well, this urge to know where the other person is might truly be hard to suppress. To think you'd dare tell me about such a feature—you're guilty of a heinous crime."

Toru Hasegawa said this while making a show of reaching out to grab the other's throat.

The human desire to pry is truly a curious thing.

"Have mercy on me." Masayoshi Hashimoto played along, putting on a gesture of surrender.

"Alright, that's enough joking around." Toru Hasegawa let go; he hadn't used any real strength, nor could he have. "You must have had a reason for seeking me out, right?"

"Eh? Don't we have an appointment with Kushida from Class D this afternoon?"

"So, what does that have to do with you coming to find me right now?"

It wasn't even noon yet; Toru Hasegawa didn't believe this guy's intentions were that simple.

"There are some things that aren't convenient to say at that time." A serious expression appeared on Masayoshi Hashimoto's face. "I think I've roughly understood what you told me before."

That is, regarding Arisu Sakayanagi and this school.

"Let's go somewhere else."

Following Masayoshi Hashimoto's lead, Toru Hasegawa returned to the Special Building that was right before them.

Almost no one comes here during the holidays; it's a great place to do all sorts of things.

"I went to observe the other classes yesterday. Even though it was only for a short time, aside from Class A and Class B, Class C and Class D are in total disarray. Everything you told me must be true."

Is his initiative really this high?

Toru Hasegawa cast a surprised look at Masayoshi Hashimoto.

And here he was, just thinking about getting a girlfriend while incidentally gathering intel on Class D. What a failure...

"And then there's the matter of Her Highness. You should know something about Ayanokoji, right? To me, he just seems like a quiet person with no presence."

It seems Masayoshi Hashimoto's initiative is even higher than he imagined.

"Well, if the other party wants to deliberately hide their talents, it's perfectly normal that you wouldn't be able to tell." Toru Hasegawa affirmed Masayoshi Hashimoto's observation.

To his surprise, the latter shook his head: "No, that's not what I really wanted to say. What I really want to say is..."

He looked at Toru Hasegawa with an incredibly earnest gaze, a look that made Toru Hasegawa involuntarily turn his head away.

"You must have other things you haven't told me, right? Hasegawa-kun."

"You might as well speak plainly."

What exactly could make Masayoshi Hashimoto take the initiative to come to him? Toru Hasegawa soon got his answer.

"Teacher Mashima said at the start of the term that there is nothing in this school that cannot be bought with points, right? So, changing classes... is that also within the scope of what can be bought?"

For Masayoshi Hashimoto, who is abnormally obsessed with the school's advertised 100% employment and college acceptance rates, it is perhaps only natural that he would reach such a conclusion.

Masayoshi Hashimoto observed the other's expression and found his answer: "As I thought, you knew about this all along, didn't you? But you didn't tell me at the time."

"...I just didn't think this thing was very realistic," Toru Hasegawa explained.

But such an explanation could not convince Masayoshi Hashimoto, who stared firmly into Toru Hasegawa's eyes: "Why?"

Generally speaking, as someone who had been in Class A from the very beginning, one wouldn't think of such things.

However, Masayoshi Hashimoto was not an average person; he would exhaust every means to think and to practice.

Failing to take this into account was Toru Hasegawa's dereliction of duty.

"I don't mean to blame you, after all, what you said might be true, but this leaves me no choice but to suspect whether you are hiding other motives, if you don't want to contribute to Class A."

Hearing this, Toru Hasegawa sighed, understanding that it was time for a full confession:

"I should have told you, I mainly came here for the fact that tuition and all other expenses at this school are fully covered."

Masayoshi Hashimoto nodded slightly, but still did not look away.

"A one-hundred percent advancement and employment rate sounds wonderful, but if one's own ability is insufficient, then all of this is nothing but a pipe dream. You should be able to understand what I mean, right?"

Relying on the school's recommendation to enter an ideal company or university was fine, but if one wasn't cut out for it, they would be weeded out quickly.

"But even if you just treat this school's recommendation as a stepping stone, there's no problem with that. Are there really so few people in society with talent who go unrecognized? At the very least, this place gives us a chance, a chance to prove ourselves. Also, you still haven't answered my question."

"I've already answered it, just now in what I said."

"..." Masayoshi Hashimoto fell silent, silently recalling what Toru Hasegawa had just said in his heart, and soon he realized something: "You mean, let us train ourselves?"

"That's right. If you only know how to rely on others blindly, such a person is nothing special even if they graduate from Class A. You've successfully understood my meaning."

"Do you really have no intention of using points to transfer classes?"

"It would be abnormal to have such thoughts while already being in Class A, wouldn't it?"

Masayoshi Hashimoto said calmly: "What if one day we fall out of Class A?"

As long as one enters Class A, everything is fine; the school wouldn't do such a thing, otherwise, the meaning of these three years would be lost.

"You really are..." Toru Hasegawa laughed in spite of himself. Had the other party even considered this point? He then said, "That would only mean our capacity is insufficient and we don't deserve the position of Class A. Besides, I don't have any reason that I must graduate from Class A."

There is a simpler way right in front of you, yet you insist on pursuing graduation from Class A? Hashimoto-kun...

After hearing this, Masayoshi Hashimoto said slowly: "So, even if the class really falls one day, you won't take action, is that what you mean?"

"I don't know." Toru Hasegawa shook his head. "And you've thought too highly of me from the beginning. Whether it's transferring classes or maintaining the class so it doesn't fall, neither is such an easy thing."

At least for now, while the true face of the school has not yet been fully revealed, he has absolutely no confidence.

Moreover, if he were to get a girlfriend from another class, such a relationship would also become a significant consideration, and whether the students of Class A would be willing to accept his leadership remained an unknown.

"That's true... Let's go, let's go have lunch together." Masayoshi Hashimoto suddenly revealed a bright smile.

Toru Hasegawa was not surprised: "Yeah, let's go."

Time has unknowingly reached noon.