Classroom of the Mediocre Supremacist

"No, no, no, I misspoke. I meant that I don't think you're a bad person, so I rushed over without thinking about anything else."

Hoshino En: "..."

"People's hearts are hidden behind their bellies. Be more careful from now on. You'd better carry pepper spray or something for self-defense."

"Someone like you, who knows so many people's dark secrets, is the easiest to get hated. Stay sharp."

"Yes, yes!"

After that, Hoshino En's lecturing of [Idiot Kushida] dragged on until midnight.

Unfortunately, after enduring the lecture, Si [Idiot Kushida] didn't seem to have evolved in any noticeable way. She was still just as dumb as the old Kushida Kikyo.

"Come to think of it, Hoshino-kun, why did you go so far to help me?"

"Help you? What help? I lectured you purely because you pissed me off, so this is your punishment, and a lesson to make you remember."

"If you ever fall into a similar trap again, it won't be as simple as a [lecture]."

Kushida Kikyo: ...!!

"What kind of logic is that? You're such a sadist... And that's not what I meant. I'm asking why you helped me relieve my stress!"

"Didn't I already say? I did it to—"

"But I don't think you're the kind of simple, kind-hearted person. You definitely have another motive."

She stared straight at Hoshino En, her gaze unusually certain.

"...So you could tell!"

Hoshino En was actually surprised for once.

It hadn't been easy. Once he realized Kushida Kikyo was far lower in skill than he'd imagined, he'd stopped bothering to hide the facade of kindness he showed her.

If she had just left without any doubt or probing, he would have started planning how to discard her after squeezing her dry.

"You were so obvious about it, how could I still believe your earlier excuse!"

Kushida Kikyo shuddered.

That guy acting so surprised was definitely fake. If she hadn't asked, he probably would have immediately thought of using that [threat] to crush her.

And she had enough self-awareness. Someone like her, a [social butterfly], was always the type that someone like him—who wasn't good at socializing—no, he probably just didn't like socializing—anyway, the type he hated dealing with the most.

(Hoshino En: No, actually, what I can't handle are airheads. Your [socialite] level is still too low.)

Good thing I asked on a whim... Wait, no!

Kushida Kikyo: ...!!

What am I thinking...? I'm starting to sound like him?

She looked at Hoshino En, who was mulling over an [excuse], her gaze dazed.

It's only been less than two hours, and he's already influencing me??

He really is a freak!!!

"If I had to give a reason..."

While Kushida Kikyo was having her mental storm, Hoshino En had also come up with an [excuse]... though Kushida Kikyo didn't believe it was real.

"It's because I really like you."

He lifted his head slightly. His bangs, which had been hanging down, shifted with the movement, revealing the purple eyes hidden beneath. The starry glint in his pupils shone especially captivating under the bright lights.

Kushida Kikyo: "..."

She had to admit, for a split second, she actually believed Hoshino En's words.

Worse still, she even felt a tiny flutter in her heart!!

Why?! My heart...

She pressed her hand to her chest, feeling it slip out of control.

Ahhhh! [Thump], [thump]—it's so damn loud!!

"You're... joking, right?"

Damn it, why is my mouth out of control too?

"Of course not. I really do think you're charming, Kushida."

Kushida Kikyo: "..."

Th-this...

"You genuinely treat everyone as a [close friend], unlike the usual [socialite] who only treats [those who can bring them benefits] as [close friends]. That's exactly why you have far more psychological pressure than the average person—I really like that about you, so I'm willing to help."

"I never hold back when it comes to things I like. If you can bring me joy, then I'm naturally willing to support you."

"It's just that you seem a bit too dumb. Normal [socialites] aren't this stupid. Logically, to juggle more people, you should be sharper than the average [socialite]. Why are you so foolish?"

Kushida Kikyo: "..."

Ah, her mood instantly calmed down.

Also, was this topic never going to end?

"Let me ask—when you say you like me, you just mean you like my behavior, right?" San

"Of course. I really admire your [sincerity], and I definitely couldn't do that kind of thing myself. Most people couldn't either. From that perspective, Kushida, you're a genius too." San

"Are you mocking me?"

Kushida Kikyo had already switched to her true face, staring coldly at Hoshino En.

Seeing her suddenly get angry, Hoshino En quickly tried to backtrack.

"No, no, I really think you're a genius. At the very least, someone like you—Horikita Suzune definitely couldn't pull it off."

Hoshino En, noticing her friction with Horikita Suzune, deliberately stepped on Horikita to flatter her.

But he didn't expect that hearing this only seemed to make Kushida Kikyo angrier.

First Semester of First Year:

Chapter 31: Kiyotaka Also Not Asleep

"Hey, Hoshino, let me ask you—"

Kushida Kikyo didn't seem to dwell on Hoshino En's question; she started a new topic instead.

"If one day you had to choose between me and Horikita, who would you pick?"

Alright, the topic still hadn't been dropped.

"Why ask that? You should know that question has no meaning right now."

"In front of you, I'd only choose you, and whether or not I'm sincere in choosing you, you wouldn't believe my [promise] anyway."

Kushida Kikyo: "..."

"But I haven't even talked to Horikita Suzune yet. If I had to choose, I'd still pick you, so don't worry too much."

"And you should have more faith in your own charm! I'm not exactly easy to please. Someone like Horikita Suzune, with her extreme individualism and absolute self-centeredness, wouldn't get anywhere with me."

"...I hope you remember what you said today."

Though the conversation was already trending toward ending, Hoshino En's [mention of Horikita Suzune] became the final straw that killed it.

Kushida Kikyo came in high spirits and left in disappointment—arriving with a smile, but returning to her room with a cold face.

"Oh, one more thing."

Just before she left, Hoshino En added.

"This school's Student Council has a lot of power, possibly even more than some teachers. If you want to make friends across grades, becoming a Student Council officer would be a good choice."

Hoshino En offered a solid suggestion, and Kushida Kikyo's expression improved a bit.

"And just to add—the current Student Council president, the man who stands at the top of all students, his name is Horikita Manabu. He's Horikita Suzune's older brother."

Kushida Kikyo's expression turned even worse than before.

After she left, Hoshino En wiped the smile off his face.

Kushida was seriously messed up, huh? Did Horikita really cast that big a shadow over her?

Given her personality, she'd probably keep pestering Horikita Suzune relentlessly until she could become [true friends] with her.

That way, she could not only score a victory for her ideal but also block Horikita from destroying her by [spreading her past]—after all, if close friends suddenly badmouth each other, it's likely because they're [in a fight], and any [rumors] that come out wouldn't be easily believed by others.

But for Hoshino En, this was actually a good thing. The more obsessed Kushida was with Horikita, the easier her behavior patterns were to analyze.

As for the info he gave at the end, it was mainly to prevent Kushida from snapping and going nuclear on Horikita—though in his [reasoning], the probability of her making such a low-return move was minuscule. But after today... no, yesterday's blow, he'd lost all confidence in his judgment of women.

If he'd warned her and she still risked getting on the Student Council president's bad side to go hard on Horikita, he'd really have to give up on her.

Tch, forget it. Preparing for the worst was important, but what he needed to focus on now was Horikita Suzune.

"But then I'll have to find a way to know what's going on with Horikita."

At the very least, he needed to figure out if she knew about Kushida's past.

Aaaaaah—regretting it again. Why did he have to get tangled up with Kushida Kikyo? Wasn't this just piling on more trouble?

If he'd known, he'd have just settled for Karuizawa...

Forget it, forget it. So, who in the class was the [closest] to Horikita right now—

Hoshino En: [Kiyotaka, still awake?]

He sent a message to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, who was in the next room doing who knows what.

Though Hoshino En had initially thought about calling him or dragging him out for a night stroll—and maybe checking for camera blind spots along the way.

But the thought of getting beaten up by an enraged humanoid machine for disturbing the peace at night made him settle for sending a message instead.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka: [?]

Hoshino En: [Any progress with Horikita Suzune after that?]

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, living right next door, was speechless.

You're bothering me in the middle of the night just to keep eating the gossip from earlier today?

And we live right next door to each other—couldn't you have just brought this up on the way to school tomorrow morning?

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka: [You know, I got cornered by Yamauchi and the others afterward, and I never had any more contact with Horikita.]→●, The subtext—you heartless bastard who watched me die, and you still want gossip? Go eat shit!

Hoshino En: [They were clearly coming for you, and you know exactly how socially anxious I am. Plus, Sudo's built like a tank—if I accidentally rubbed him the wrong way, wouldn't he just beat me up on the spot?]

[So yeah, Kiyotaka, you've gotta understand me—I'd never betray our revolutionary friendship!!]

[Also, you've been at it for two days now—has Horikita told you anything besides her name? Like hobbies, skills, or something she likes?]

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka: [...She did say she reads for ten hours every day.]

Ten hours? Is that kid a bookworm or what???

Hoshino En suddenly felt like Shiina might have a useful book buddy.

Hoshino En: [So what kind of books does she read? Mystery novels or literary classics?]

As long as he shoved a sacrificial lamb forward, Shiina probably wouldn't keep hounding him, right?

Plus, Horikita was a girl too—compared to him, Shiina should find it easier to get close to her.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka: [Neither. She reads textbooks.]

Hoshino En: "..."

Retract that statement—Shiina would absolutely never accept this kind of [book buddy].

Hoshino En: [Does she have any other hobbies then?]

Although his plan to find a scapegoat had fallen through, Hoshino En's real goal was to dig up info on Horikita Suzune, so a little setback like this wasn't enough to stop him.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka: [Not sure, but judging by how she's glued to her books all day, I don't think so.]

Hoshino En: [So you're saying—you pestered her for two whole days, and all you got was this much?]

His words seemed to strike a nerve with Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. The other party showed [Read] and then didn't send a message for a long time.