Classroom of the Elite, Keima Katsuragi's Love Brain Battle

"Elsie? Although she ranked last, it's obvious she didn't take the test seriously on purpose, right?"

Suzune Horikita glanced at Elsie, who looked back with a blank expression, still chewing on meat.

"...&% (I was super serious, though!)"

However, because her mouth was full, her speech came out muffled and unclear.

"While those questions weren't exactly simple, even guessing should have netted you at least ten points. Besides, when I handed in my paper, I accidentally saw your test, Elsie. You were just doodling all over it. Not only that, for the four options A, B, C, and D, you even wrote an E."

"?"

Keima Katsuragi turned his head and stared fixedly at Elsie.

"So I guessed it. You two siblings are doing this on purpose, aren't you? One takes first place, the other takes last, just to test the rules of the quiz—or rather, you had already guessed that this quiz didn't matter at all, didn't you?"

Suzune Horikita lifted her chin slightly, a hint of smugness hidden in her expression; she believed she had deduced the true intentions of Keima Katsuragi and Elsie.

After all, in her eyes, Keima Katsuragi possessed such an exceptional mind that Elsie, as his sister, surely couldn't be any worse.

Elsie had absolutely no idea what Suzune Horikita was talking about.

Is the academic pressure too much for her?

"..."

Keima Katsuragi could only respond with silence.

"So, I'd still like to trouble you to help me find those students."

"No."

Without a shred of hesitation, Keima Katsuragi rejected Suzune Horikita's request.

"What? Don't you also want to improve the grades of Class D?"

"That is true, but your method is flawed."

"My method is flawed? This was Yosuke Hirata's idea, and you just said yourself that we should hold a study session—"

"I wasn't talking about the study session itself, but rather the act of inviting those who scored at the bottom of the last quiz."

Keima Katsuragi set down his chopsticks.

"First, a single test is too small a sample size to determine everyone's true academic ability. Second, by inviting people with that as your reason, you are essentially shoving the words 'you're a burden because your grades are terrible' right in their faces. If you encounter someone with strong self-esteem, it will only have the opposite effect."

Keima Katsuragi spoke slowly, rationally analyzing the various circumstances.

"What does that matter? I'm just stating the facts."

"Horikita, perhaps you haven't realized it, but you have subconsciously begun to treat all the other students around you as burdens."

Volume 1: Chapter 36: Suzune Horikita, Let's Make a Bet

Keima Katsuragi pushed up his glasses, his gaze turning serious.

"They are indeed very likely to be burdens; no, they are already dragging us down."

Suzune Horikita crossed her arms over her chest, looking at Keima Katsuragi with a stern expression.

"The class has already had so many points deducted because of these people—sleeping in class, whispering, playing on their phones..."

Suzune Horikita bit her lip, paused for a second, and then continued.

"Although you play games too, if it weren't for you, the students in the class wouldn't even know about these rules. Furthermore, you reached an agreement with the teacher, so you don't count—but they are genuinely dragging us down, which is why we..."

"Horikita, aren't you a student of Class D yourself?"

Just then, Keima Katsuragi cut her off directly.

The corner of Suzune Horikita's mouth twitched slightly. Keima Katsuragi's words felt like a nail, but she quickly defended herself.

"I do not acknowledge this so-called class assignment system. There must be a mistake somewhere. I have confidence in the test scores I achieved when I enrolled."

"You're mistaken, Horikita. Class assignment isn't just about grades; it's also about personality."

Keima Katsuragi's expression remained very calm.

"What?"

"Every student assigned to Class D possesses some degree of personality defect."

Keima Katsuragi stated.

After Sae Chabashira mentioned the details regarding the class assignments, Keima Katsuragi was basically able to confirm this.

The students who came to Class D weren't judged solely on grades, as many of them had scores that could even be considered excellent.

Therefore, there could only be one reason: there were defects in other areas.

For instance, personality.

Suzune Horikita's arrogance, Airi Sakura's social anxiety, and the behavior of others around them were all enough to prove Keima Katsuragi's hypothesis.

Kikyo Kushida and Yosuke Hirata both seemed perfect—good personalities and decent grades—but Keima Katsuragi was certain that they, too, had hidden secrets.

Take Kikyo Kushida, for example; her obsession with Suzune Horikita and the fluctuations in her favorability ratings served as evidence of this.

"Some people are aware of their own problems, like me—I lack social skills, I lack exercise, I'm immersed in games, and I've completely isolated myself from the real world—though, personally, I don't consider the latter a flaw. But that is the reason I was assigned to Class D. However, you, Horikita, are the type who is unaware. You place yourself too high, which is why you think others are dragging you down. If you continue like this, it will be impossible for you to promote to Class A."

The words of Keima Katsuragi were incredibly sharp, enough to make even Airi Sakura feel a sense of unease.

The expression on Suzune Horikita's face grew increasingly gloomy, and a suffocating atmosphere began to permeate the space around them.

"And why is it that you're trying so hard to reach Class A? Is it out of pride?"

Keima Katsuragi's gaze pierced through her eyes and landed on Suzune Horikita's face, taking in every nuance of her expression.

After a one-second pause, Keima Katsuragi spoke again:

"Is it... to prove yourself to someone?"

"Enough!"

As if a switch had been flipped, Suzune Horikita stood up abruptly, leaving the food in front of her completely untouched.

"It seems coming to you was a mistake after all!"

She gathered her things, turned around, and prepared to leave.

Suzune Horikita did not notice that the moment she turned away in her agitation, the corners of Keima Katsuragi's mouth curled upward.

A certain hypothesis in his mind had just been confirmed.

"Horikita, how about we make a bet?"

"What?"

Suzune Horikita stopped in her tracks and looked back at Keima Katsuragi, curious to see what else he could possibly say.

"Let's hold separate study groups and use the results of the end-of-month exams as the stakes. It's not the midterm, so it shouldn't have—and won't have—any major impact on our Class Points."

Keima Katsuragi said slowly.

"If the average score of the members in my study group is higher, then from now on, whenever you want the class to advance, you must listen to me. Conversely, if your group's scores are better, I'll do whatever you want—also, if you can't get your study group off the ground or fail to find anyone within a week, that counts as a loss too."

"Why would I participate in such a boring bet?"

Suzune Horikita said irritably.

"If you can't even handle something like organizing a study group, then there's no hope of reaching Class A."

"That would only mean that some people deserve to be expelled. Once they're gone, our class's performance might even improve."

"Have you never considered the possibility that if students are expelled, the class will also have its Class Points deducted?"

Suzune Horikita's brows furrowed tightly, and she did not answer immediately.

"Are you afraid you can't beat me?"

"That kind of boring provocation won't work on me."

"Then what would your brother, the Student Council President, think if he knew you were still stuck in Class D?"

"What did you say!"

The moment she heard Keima Katsuragi's words, Suzune Horikita became even more agitated, her sharp gaze locked onto him.

"Fine, I'll take your bet!"

After a moment of silence, Suzune Horikita spat out those words through gritted teeth and turned to leave the cafeteria.

Watching her retreating figure, Keima Katsuragi simply smiled.

Who said this provocation wouldn't work?

It worked perfectly!

"Big Brother, isn't this a bit much?"

Elsie said to Keima Katsuragi with some concern.

At this rate, her favorability rating was bound to plummet even further.

"No, this is exactly what's needed."

Keima Katsuragi replied.

Suzune Horikita could be tentatively categorized as a tsundere, but for now, she only possessed the 'tsun'—the prickly side—without any of the 'dere.'

To bring out that softer side, he needed to find her weakness.

Through the probing of their earlier conversation, Keima Katsuragi had basically confirmed that Suzune Horikita wanted to prove herself.

And in this school, there was only one person who fit the bill.

The Student Council President who gave the speech at the entrance ceremony: Manabu Horikita.

From the very beginning, Keima Katsuragi had noticed they shared the same surname, and it wasn't hard to guess their relationship.

Siblings.

The provocation just now had further corroborated his hypothesis.

Suzune Horikita's personality had been shaped by her desperate desire to prove herself before her brother.

Whether it was the main quest to win her over or the side quest to help the class advance, getting into Suzune Horikita's heart was a step that could not be ignored.

Volume 1: Chapter 37: The Most Resolute Answer from Airi Sakura!

After Suzune Horikita left, Keima Katsuragi and the others finished their meal and prepared to return to their dormitory to rest for a bit before continuing with their afternoon classes.

"Big Brother, what are you planning to do about the study group later?"

Elsie asked curiously.

"I plan to use an open sign-up method."

"Open sign-up?"

"Those who want to join the study group can come on their own, and I won't force those who don't want to."

"Will anyone actually come, though?"

"Um, um..."

Just at that moment, a voice as soft as a mosquito's, belonging to Airi Sakura, sounded from nearby.

"What is it, Sakura-san?"

"Um... um..."

Sakura-san's voice became even quieter, and she appeared to be getting somewhat flustered, stammering for a long time without being able to get the words out.

"Elsie, go over there and buy a few drinks."

Keima Katsuragi said to Elsie.

"Understood, Big Brother!"

Although Elsie didn't know what Keima Katsuragi was planning, since it was something the God of Conquest had said, it was something she would unconditionally carry out, so she immediately walked with light steps toward the nearby refreshment bar.

After Elsie left, Keima Katsuragi turned his head back to look at Airi Sakura:

"Now that there are fewer people, do you feel a bit better?"

Keima Katsuragi's caring words made Airi Sakura's face turn bright red in an instant.

Katsuragi-kun... is he worried that I'm uncomfortable, which is why he sent his sister away?