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

"Hiyori, Hiyori-san, you, you also, also look very beautiful!"

"By the way, Airi-san, may I ask if you are an internet model?"

"Ah?"

Airi Sakura was stunned, never expecting Shiina Hiyori to say such a thing.

Wh, why does Hiyori-san know?

Could it be, could it be that Keima-kun told her!?

Would Keima-kun really... tell Hiyori-san about these things?

Has their relationship reached such a level of intimacy?

Watching the surprised expression on Airi Sakura's face, Keima Katsuragi sensed that something was terribly wrong.

Airi Sakura would definitely think that he was the one who told Shiina Hiyori!

And when that happened, she would surely imagine all sorts of strange things.

He couldn't let things develop to that point!

"Hiyori, why do you say that?"

Keima Katsuragi immediately asked, his words making it clear that he had nothing to do with this.

So, it wasn't Keima-kun who told her?

"Because haven't I also started using social media recently? I've been looking forward to your walkthrough updates, Keima-kun."

As she spoke, Shiina Hiyori took out her terminal.

Hearing Shiina Hiyori use the name Keima-kun, Airi Sakura pursed her lips.

Hiyori-san has also been paying attention to Keima-kun all this time.

"Then I saw that there was a follow on Keima-kun's account, so I got a bit curious. When I clicked on it, I saw a blogger named Shizuku. Her follower count is quite astonishing. Since I only started using this site recently, I'm not very familiar with various bloggers, but I often see the Shizuku account appearing on the homepage; she's always one of the top-ranked bloggers in popularity."

Shiina Hiyori explained in a measured tone, "Airi-san's signature red hair is too distinct, and I noticed that the update frequency of the Shizuku account slowed down a bit after our school started. The backgrounds of the photos updated recently are also exactly the same as our school's dormitory rooms, so I made a deduction."

"So, so amazing..."

Elsie, who was standing to the side, let out a gasp of admiration. Shiina Hiyori was just like a detective, analyzing everything related to Airi Sakura.

Keima Katsuragi didn't speak; he just turned his head slightly to observe Airi Sakura's reaction.

Airi Sakura kept her head down, her hands clutching the hem of her skirt.

But soon, she lifted her head, a smile appearing on her face, and then she nodded.

If it were in the past, Airi Sakura would have definitely tried her hardest to distance herself from 'Shizuku'.

But the current Airi Sakura felt that she had grown.

Since she regarded the people around her as friends, she shouldn't hide these things.

Therefore, Airi Sakura decided to admit it openly.

"Yes, Hiyori-san, you're right. I'm sorry for keeping it from you until now."

"No need to apologize, Airi-san. After I said that just now... I realized it might have caused you trouble. I'm the one who should be apologizing."

Shiina Hiyori waved her hands hurriedly to express her regret.

She wasn't very good at interpersonal matters either, so she hadn't thought much about it at first; she was simply driven by curiosity.

"No, no, no, it's okay! Actually, I also wanted to find an opportunity to tell you all."

Airi Sakura replied.

Compared to before, there was a glimmer of something called confidence in her eyes.

Meanwhile, in the student counseling room.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka knocked on the door.

"Come in."

As Sae Chabashira's voice rang out, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka pushed the door open and walked inside.

"Teacher, what is it? I'm currently in the middle of carefully planning my weekend."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka said in a lazy tone, but there was no expression on his face.

"As far as I know, you don't have any friends in your class."

Sae Chabashira said with a sneer.

"Teacher, you really don't sound like a homeroom teacher."

"Forget it. I called you here today to discuss some important matters."

Sae Chabashira began to tell Ayanokoji Kiyotaka about her past experiences.

However, there was no change in expression on the latter's face.

"Teacher, I don't understand the point of telling me these things. If there is nothing else, I will be leaving."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka turned around, ready to depart immediately.

But Sae Chabashira called out to stop him.

"I believe that in order to reach Class A, you are an indispensable existence."

"I was wondering what you were going to say, but this must be a joke."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka replied with a blank expression.

"Being unnaturally praised by you, I feel so happy—there is no way I would ever say something like that."

"A few days ago, a certain man contacted the school, saying he wanted Ayanokoji Kiyotaka to be expelled."

Sae Chabashira narrowed her eyes slightly, seemingly trying to catch any shift in emotion on Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's face.

But she gained nothing.

"Expel me? That is truly nonsensical. Although I don't know who that person is, the school cannot expel a student against their own will, can they?"

Although Ayanokoji Kiyotaka said this, he knew very well who the person Sae Chabashira was referring to.

The man who shared the same surname as him, the man who shared his bloodline—

The man who created him.

"Of course, no matter what a third party says, we cannot expel you. As long as you are a student at this school, you are protected by the rules. However... if you engage in problematic behavior, that is a different matter. Smoking, bullying, theft, cheating—if you cause any scandal, expulsion becomes unavoidable."

"Regrettably, I have no intention of doing any of those things."

"That has nothing to do with your will. In other words, as long as I judge it to be so, everything will come true."

"Are you threatening me, by any chance?"

"It is a trade, Ayanokoji. You aim for Class A for my sake, and I will provide comprehensive support to protect you. Don't you think that is a good deal?"

"There is no need for me in a deal like that."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka replied.

"Because someone in the class has already taken action."

"You mean Katsuragi, right?"

"Katsuragi and Horikita. Although I haven't had much contact with them, they seem to be working hard to improve the class, so I believe they can lead the class forward."

"Katsuragi is indeed a special student. He is just as special as you, Ayanokoji."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka did not deny this statement.

"He was the one who first discovered the secret of the S-System in Class D, wasn't he?"

"I'm not entirely sure. I only know that Hirata went to ask Katsuragi about it, and the latter provided an answer."

"He changed the situation of the class with ease, didn't he? If it weren't for Katsuragi, our points might have been wiped out within half a month."

"That would have been terrible."

There was not a hint of concern in Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's words.

"During the entrance exam, you two were the most eye-catching. One got a perfect score in every subject, and the other got exactly fifty points in every subject."

"That was truly an unfortunate coincidence."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka replied, though in his heart, he had already begun to ponder Sae Chabashira's words.

Come to think of it, my approach and Katsuragi's are completely opposite.

Because I didn't know the abilities of the other students, I chose to score exactly 50 points on every subject to keep myself right in the middle of the pack.

But Katsuragi chose to reveal a portion of his ability.

While thinking to himself, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka spoke up again.

"If that's the case, then having Katsuragi-kun is more than enough. Besides, I've heard that there was some kind of agreement between you and Katsuragi-kun—"

"My agreement with him has fallen through."

Sae Chabashira said with a frown.

Volume 1: Chapter 65: Strategy Progress, 100%!

"Oh? Why is that?"

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka asked.

"The specifics have nothing to do with you. Regardless, the agreement between Katsuragi and me has been terminated, and I cannot guarantee that he will continue to work toward the class's promotion in the future."

Sae Chabashira sighed.

Everything that happened yesterday was completely outside of her expectations.

"I heard that something happened at the school yesterday, and that security personnel were dispatched. Is that true?"

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka asked, while taking out his terminal, opening the school forum, and showing several posts to Sae Chabashira.

"It has nothing to do with you. As a student, don't interfere too much in matters that don't concern you."

"Rising to Class A has nothing to do with me either, right?"

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka replied.

However, judging by Sae Chabashira's reaction, he was basically certain that the incident that occurred yesterday was related to Keima Katsuragi.

He had used that event to terminate the agreement between himself and Sae Chabashira.

If that was the case...

Could it be that this was what Keima Katsuragi had intended from the very beginning?

He had never intended to fulfill the agreement at all.

But why would Keima Katsuragi do such a thing?

Could it be that he was truly just doing it to play a game?

No, that was impossible.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka immediately dismissed this conjecture in his mind.

After verifying it last time, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had roughly deduced that Keima Katsuragi was not targeting him.

This, in turn, made Ayanokoji Kiyotaka even more puzzled about the other party's motives.

In the education of the White Room, he had never seen a case like Keima Katsuragi.

Rokusuke Koenji, much like Keima Katsuragi, was someone who acted entirely according to his own whims and was completely unpredictable, but as he himself had said, he had not formed any connections with the others in the class.

Yet, Keima Katsuragi had, without anyone noticing, built a network of relationships with many students and was drawing closer to them at a speed beyond imagination, even causing them to change.

In the White Room, there existed techniques similar to manipulating people's hearts, but they were completely different from Keima Katsuragi's way of acting.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was becoming increasingly curious about Keima Katsuragi.

If it were him...