The Beginning of Factional Strife

The day after the bet with Manabu Horikita ended.

Kohei Katsuragi couldn't suppress the smile tugging at his lips as he reviewed his lessons in the classroom.

"Ah, good morning, Little Fist Stone, Classmate Katsuragi."

Seishiki Otonashi strolled in just before the bell, cutting it close.

"Morning, Otonashi."

"You seem pretty happy. Good news?"

Seeing Katsuragi's cheerful expression, Otonashi chuckled lightly.

"I passed the second round of the Student Council recruitment!"

"Really? That's great."

A pretty good outcome, wasn't it? Otonashi let the matter rest, hiding his merit and fading into the background.

Otonashi quietly returned to his seat, already dreading the upcoming lessons with a slight headache.

He noticed Sakayanagi Arisu's seat was empty and felt a twinge of concern.

The bell for class had already rung, but the person who pushed open the front door and entered wasn't the teacher—it was Sakayanagi Arisu.

Quite the entrance. Next time, I'll do the same—it must look cool! Otonashi's eyes sparkled with light, clear like a playful child's.

"Let me introduce myself. I'm Sakayanagi Arisu, your future leader who will command you all."

No one in the classroom spoke; they all watched Sakayanagi Arisu's performance.

Except for the universally beloved Classmate Totsuka, of course. Why did Otonashi give Yahiko Totsuka that nickname? Because Totsuka wasn't exactly popular among his classmates. He always stuck close to Kohei Katsuragi, and nine out of ten sentences he said revolved around Little Fist Stone... If the guy weren't a fanatical faction preacher, maybe he wouldn't have ended up in this situation.

So Otonashi just silently prayed with that nickname in his heart that he'd become [universally beloved]. With such a loving thought, did he have the essential qualities to become an angel? The answer was yes, surely. As for the title, [Archangel] would do.

[?W?ant? ?t?o? ?b?e? ?a?n? ?a?n?g?e?l?,? ?a?n? ?a?n?g?e?l? ?d?o?e?s?n?'?t? ?r?o?t? ?a?n?d? ?s?t?i?n?k? ?l?i?k?e? ?a? ?c?o?r?p?s?e?.?]?

"Our class only has one leader, and that's Classmate Katsuragi!"

He clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction and shot back.

"I don't like it when people interrupt me while I'm speaking, Classmate Totsuka. Or have you—already figured out the secret behind the rules?"

Classmate Sakayanagi sure knows how to keep people guessing. I didn't expect her to have cracked the word games in the rules too. Thinking about Hashimoto mentioning that the school chairman was her father... a connection? Probably not. Whatever, I'll just cross-check my answers a bit...

(According to the original setting, Sakayanagi doesn't know the school's rules. But with a chairman dad... cough, well, it's just how it is.)

"First point: the monthly points aren't fixed."

Actually, someone in Class A had already deduced this; everyone here was sharp.

"Second, our individual points are tied to the class. Has everyone heard of the corporate audit system? The capable ones move to the front, while the useless ones get pushed to the back, or even eliminated. Discipline, individuality, and talent build this special school. It's called the [School of Meritocracy]."

At that, a black-haired, plain-looking classmate, Mori Shige Takuro, asked.

"And what proof supports that logic?"

"Remember what Teacher Majima said? Points represent our evaluation. That 'our' is quite the intriguing riddle."

Murmurs and thoughts swirled as everyone's brains quickly digested Sakayanagi Arisu's words.

"One more thing: don't you all think the teachers are too friendly?"

"Take Seishiki Otonashi, for example. He has a bad habit of dozing off in class. Have any of you noticed the teachers' attitude? They don't call him out—they just ignore this disrespectful, rule-breaking behavior. It's almost like they're coddling a bad kid..."

Otonashi: '?'. Well, well, calling me out here...

Most of the class turned their eyes to Otonashi, making him blush and lower his head, muttering softly.

"I... I won't do it again."

"Once you're out in society, no one will manage your discipline, rule-following, or habits anymore. In other words, you're all [free]. The school is simulating a miniature society, observing students' self-control. If you students had money beyond your age, and faced [freedom] with your own [conduct], personal discipline management is also part of corporate evaluations."

"For example, when facing company rules about lateness, your wages get docked for the time you're late. That's easier to understand. Apply the same logic to the school's rules..."

"The school evaluates each class this month, and as you've just learned, the monthly points aren't fixed. So the answer is clear."

At that, Nishikawa Ryoko raised her hand.

"Go ahead, Nishikawa Ryoko."

Sakayanagi Arisu smiled with ease.

"That means if we follow the rules this month and do well on exams, it'll give [Class A] a better first impression on the school, right, Sakayanagi Arisu?"

"Yes, exactly."

Sakayanagi Arisu nodded in response.

At that moment, everyone in the class had a sudden realization, except for Tamiya Emi, who turned to look at Otonashi, who was resting his chin on his hand, twirling a pen, and yawning.

Katsuragi Kohei had taken notes when Teacher Majima explained the school rules, circling the confusing parts. Viewing them through Sakayanagi Arisu's way of thinking, all the doubts resolved themselves.

"That's all I have to say. Thank you, everyone. Whether you believe it is up to you. Teacher Majima, sorry for taking up your class time."

"No, it's fine."

Tomoya Majima admired Sakayanagi Arisu's thinking and analytical skills. Though Katsuragi Kohei was impressive too, the gap between him and Sakayanagi Arisu was a chasm too wide to cross.

Tomoya Majima would not interfere in class struggles. He would only observe, then make the most rational judgment—so long as nothing stepped outside the rules. Though he wasn't pleased to see students within his class fighting each other, what he truly wanted was a united and harmonious Class A.

Now Class A would inevitably split into two factions. The faction advocating for Kohei Katsuragi and the faction recognizing Arisu Sakayanagi would begin vying for control...

Since he wouldn't meddle in class internal affairs, he'd let it develop as it would.

Tomoya Majima stepped up to the podium, flipped open the textbook, and began his lecture.

Enduring until class ended, Seishiki Otonashi couldn't wait to raise the sign he'd made last night.

[Board Game Club Recruiting New Members, Please Join QWQ]

Seishiki Otonashi felt like a low-popularity underground idol group member, sent to the streets of Shibuya with a placard hung around his neck begging for favor, pleading for the meager attention of passersby just to sell a single ticket.

"Don't think about such cruel things!"

He slapped his own cheeks to perk himself up.

Stepping up to the podium, he squeezed his voice into a sweet tone and said, "Anyone interested in joining the Board Game Club?"

A complete failure. Not a single person in the class showed any interest.

"These guys who only study and never play games can only live a relatively disappointing life."

He silently cursed his classmates for their lack of recreational entertainment. Maybe these people were all social butterflies—ahhhh! Whatever, let the social butterflies explode!

Seishiki Otonashi even got mocked by Morishita Miya, that spacey girl.

[Huh? Is it one of those Monopoly clubs?]

He nearly went red-hot from rage, barely calming himself by pinching his philtrum.

Arriving at Class B's territory, Seishiki Otonashi put on a bright smile and slowly modulated his voice.

"One two three, three two one, aaaaah (rising pitch)."

Just then, the door opened, and a blue-haired girl with a gentle face watched Seishiki Otonashi adjusting his pitch at the entrance.

"Ah... eh... ah..."

Don't come out at a time like this, dammit! Seishiki Otonashi raged internally.

Long, slender, pale fingers peeked from his sleeve as he gestured frantically, not knowing what to say. The boy's blush overwhelmed everything, white chaotic lines appearing in his pupils.

"Classmate, who are you looking for?"

"Umm, I'm here to promote and recruit for a club I started."

"Oh? What kind of club?"

The blue-haired girl noticed the sign hanging on Seishiki Otonashi's chest.

"A Board Game Club."

She thought for a moment, then glanced at the people inside her own class.

"My name is Xiaoqiao Meng. What's yours?"

"Class 1-A, Seishiki Otonashi... I'm a boy."

"Huh?? Eh!! You're a boy?"

Xiaoqiao Meng covered her mouth, her blue eyes widening as she stared at Seishiki Otonashi.

"A cross-dresser?"

"I guess so..."

Already used to people commenting on his appearance, Seishiki Otonashi took a deep breath to calm himself.

Just then, a girl with white-brown hair poked her head out from behind the door.

"Whoa, what a cute kid! What's your name? Which class?!"

The girl's expression was like a predator's, making Seishiki Otonashi immediately step back.

"Don't scare them, Xiao Qianxun."

A big-breasted pink-haired girl—wow... that type was someone Seishiki Otonashi absolutely couldn't handle. Seeming gentle and kind on the surface but actually a carnivorous type—better to just give up.

"I just want to know this kid's name."

The white-brown-haired girl naturally leaned close to Seishiki Otonashi. He let out a helpless sigh.

"Um... I'm a boy."

"Liar. How could such a cute kid be a stinky boy?"

"No... I'm wearing pants down there... I really am a boy."

"Eh... a boy..."

"Let me introduce myself. I'm Seishiki Otonashi from Class 1-A. I'm a boy, okay..."

Then Seishiki Otonashi shot a slightly resentful look at the white-haired girl still clinging to him.

"Ahh... gomen ne, gomen ne... I'm Chihiro Shiramami."

Chihiro Shiramami blushed as she looked at Seishiki Otonashi. He could tell at a glance—this girl was a yuri fan!! She'd made him her hunting target the moment she saw him! So scary!

"Haha, sorry about that, Otonashi-kun. Xiao Qianxun has no immunity to cute things... So, what did you need?"

"I'm here to recommend the club I founded."