Classroom of the Mediocre Supremacist

It was so that I would no longer be that man's [puppet on strings].

Then should I give up on [winning]?

My failure would mean that man's failure—I would gladly welcome that outcome.

But to truly taste the flavor of [defeat]... I couldn't do it.

The moment the word [defeat] came to mind, the faces of the failures from the [White Room] surfaced in my thoughts.

I... didn't want to become like that.

I don't want to lose, I don't want to lose, I don't want to lose!

"You don't want to lose, do you?"

His words pulled me out of the chaotic tangle of thoughts.

My gaze focused on his face. He looked as if he had seen something amusing, and the smile on his face grew even brighter.

"Since you don't want to lose, then just keep winning—to obtain [victory] without tasting the bitterness of [defeat] is a thought that even ordinary, common people have."

"Congratulations, Kiyotaka. You've taken another step forward on the path to becoming an [ordinary person]."

"...But looking at the result, my thoughts haven't really changed."

"No, no, no—these two are completely different. Before, you were driven to [win], and whether you [won] or not had nothing to do with your own will. But now, you want to [win] because you [don't want to lose]. You're doing it for yourself."

"If you don't believe me—"

He spread out a set of chess pieces that had been on the desk onto the low table.

"Then go ahead and try your hardest to [win], and taste the flavor of [defeat]."

"Some things only leave a deep impression when you've experienced them yourself."

He issued a challenge to me... no, I should say—he invited me to challenge him.

So, should I take him up on it?

...How could I possibly not?

Being provoked so directly like this was a first for me.

And it was also the first time I had ever felt the urge to [win].

He was right. Something in me had indeed changed. I never used to cling to [victory] like this.

My emotions were stirred. That wasn't necessarily a good thing—it meant there would be situations where I made irrational judgments, lowering the probability of [winning]... but I didn't want to suppress this throbbing feeling.

This sensation was novel, something I had never experienced before.

I picked up the white pieces he had pushed over to my side and took the first step.

Thirty minutes later—

He was truly incredible.

Although I had played against many professional chess players in the past, the pressure they put on me couldn't compare to even a fraction of his.

My body grew weary, my vision blurred, and the fingers gripping the chess pieces gradually lost their strength.

Even though these sensations were unpleasant, the corners of my mouth kept rising.

In the end, I caught a flaw in his play and achieved victory.

I still won. He didn't give me the taste of [defeat] as he had said he would, but the feeling of my [victory] was completely different from before.

Yes, this was exactly what he had described: excitement, emotion, and joy.

This feeling—it was freaking awesome!!!

"You really are something else. No wonder that kid is still so fixated on you even now."

Although he lost, there wasn't a trace of bitterness on his face. Instead, he wore a relieved smile.

I couldn't understand his reaction.

"En, you clearly lost—why can you still make an expression like that?"

He had clearly given it his all too—I could still see the veins on his forehead that hadn't fully subsided from his intense concentration—so why could he still smile so brightly?

Was he indifferent to winning and losing? But if that were the case, why would he have gone all out?

"Because I've already gotten what I wanted."

He said to me as he tidied up the pieces and put away the board.

"Kiyotaka, do you understand now? What you want to do—the first thing you should look at isn't other people's thoughts or orders, but your own thoughts. That is true [freedom]."

"Take me, for example. Of course, I care about winning. But more than that, what I wanted to see was your change. Now, that expressionless face of yours can smile from the heart! That's what brings me the most relief."

First Semester of First Year:

Chapter 49, Section 045: Next Month's Clear Guide

"Kiyotaka, I'll take Kushida back to her room. You should head back to your room and get some sleep too."

After tidying up the chessboard, Hoshino En placed it back in its original spot on the desk, then shooed Ayanokoji Kiyotaka back into his own room next door.

As for him, he walked with Kushida Kikyo toward the floor lobby, intending to take the elevator there.

Seeing him so courteous, the girl couldn't help feeling a bit embarrassed, and she demurred.

"Actually, you don't have to see me off. The upper floors are all girls' dorms anyway, so there's no need to worry about my safety."

"I know that well enough, so I'll only see you to the elevator door."

Hoshino En bluntly said something utterly anticlimactic.

Though it was a clear day, Kushida Kikyo felt as if she'd been struck by lightning, a numbing tingle shooting from her spine to her limbs.

"...(muttering) I can't believe you can say something like that. I really wonder which of them were blind to take a liking to you."

Buzz--

Alongside her quiet grumbling, her phone's notification buzzed.

Anyone contacting her at this hour usually wanted to discuss something shady, so her phone was always set to vibrate at this time.

Who was about to offer up their little secret?

With a hint of smug satisfaction, Kushida Kikyo opened her phone to check—only to find it was a message from Hoshino En!

She looked at the notification on her phone, then at Hoshino En walking beside her, who had just slipped his phone back into his pocket, and was left speechless.

Bro, you're right in front of me, why go to all this trouble to send me a message instead of just talking?

"Open it and take a look. There's something in there you want."

Just as she was about to turn into a [telegraph machine] and start [beeping], Hoshino En's reminder stopped her in her tracks.

Had he actually sent that leverage over?

She immediately opened her phone, but instead of the video recording from that day, it was photos of several exam papers.

At the top of the first exam paper, the title boldly read: [Advanced Nurturing High School First Semester of First Year Midterm Exam Questions].

...So he hadn't been bluffing them at the barbecue place?

"Of course not. Do I strike you as the type to willingly feed someone false information? You're underestimating me."

Her thoughts directly called out, Kushida Kikyo sensed something was terribly wrong.

He really could read minds!!

"This is just cold reading, a psychological technique. The library has books on it—you can borrow one if you want."

Hoshino En once again voiced Kushida Kikyo's inner thoughts.

The girl felt like she was walking around naked right now.

Hoshino, you %$$#%^%$%^...

"Then what was all that talk earlier for?"

After a brief moment of breakdown, she decided to ask her question directly.

"What for? Isn't it obvious? Sakayanagi wanted to drag me into the class struggle vortex. I'm just going along with her plan while stirring the pot even more."

Smiling in front of others, but behind their backs it's [you probe me], [I probe you]... That kind of thing is too troublesome, and Hoshino En wanted no part in it.

But because of Sakayanagi, he had no choice but to get involved. So to minimize the hassle, there was only one thing he could do—flip the table outright.

By revealing the [exam content] and the [perfect clearance strategy] to all class representatives, forcing all four classes onto the same starting line, all the underhanded scheming about class competition would lose its meaning.

He could also gain a moment of peace—at least no one would have the energy to probe or provoke him for now.

Faint moonlight spilled through the lobby windows, scattering across the dimly lit corridor beside the soft yellow glow of the lights. Silver curtains of light mingled with the warm lamps, adding a touch of delicacy and gentleness to the quiet, deep night.

They arrived at the elevator.

The night was late; most students had already fallen asleep, and the elevator was parked steadily on the first floor.

Since the fourth floor wasn't far, after Hoshino En pressed the [up] button, the elevator arrived quickly.

The bright light from inside the elevator spilled into the dim lobby, crushing the earlier tenderness and tranquility, leaving only a clear yet blurred shadow of a man.

"As for this exam paper—whether you want to use it to score points with your class, pretend it doesn't exist, or keep it for yourself... that's up to you. As long as it doesn't cause me trouble, I won't interfere."

Backlit by the elevator's light, Kushida Kikyo couldn't make out Hoshino En's expression, but his indifferent attitude came through loud and clear.

Even though he said that, in Kushida Kikyo's eyes, he was still helping her—and being tsundere about it, refusing any thanks she might offer.

"Why are you doing this?"

She couldn't understand Hoshino En's logic.

Was it just as he'd said before—simply because he [liked] her?

"I'm just acting on my desires, the same way you crave being [close friends] with everyone."

He stepped aside, ushering Kushida Kikyo into the elevator.

"May you have a good dream tonight."

After seeing Kushida Kikyo off, Hoshino En returned to his room.

After a quick wash and shower, he immediately lay down on the bed to rest.

Kiyotaka's chess skills were far too impressive.

He rubbed his brow, where a faint dizziness still lingered—he had barely managed to endure that sensation while dealing with Kushida.

He had already tried his best to estimate Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's chess ability, but the other's actual performance turned out to be even stronger than he had anticipated.

Although [defeat] was within his expectations, he had just boasted about making Kiyotaka taste [defeat], only to suffer an unfamiliar loss himself right after. Tsk tsk, his attempt to show off had backfired spectacularly.

But looking at the result, this effect seemed even better than [making Kiyotaka taste defeat]. That guy could actually smile like that too—it wasn't a waste of his handsome face.

As for the test paper he gave to Kushida, he had gotten it from that senior in the Chess Club.

Saying he [asked] for it seemed a bit off. He had just casually sent a photo of the small test to that senior while simmering soup, wanting to verify a guess. Unexpectedly, the senior directly spilled everything—all the inside info about next month's exam, along with this first-year test paper—and ended with a request: [Please don't let that recording from the other day get out.]

Really, was it necessary to be so nervous? That recording didn't capture anything important, and he wasn't some irredeemable villain.

Or was someone behind the scenes pressuring him to act this way?

Whatever. Either way, it had nothing to do with him. As long as no first-year student caused him trouble, that was fine.

As for the upperclassmen... he would deal with them, or have someone capable do it, and cut off the hands they reached out.

First Semester of First Year:

Chapter 50, Section 046: [Chance Encounter] in the Elevator, Staking a Claim

The next day, May 1st.

After finishing Morning Exercise, Hoshino En once again ran into Ayanokoji Kiyotaka outside his room, who had just finished washing up and was ready to head out. He wore the same indifferent mask as always, but some subtle movements betrayed his current mood—he seemed quite excited.

"Why are you so excited this early? Did something good happen?"

"No, I just figured some things out after returning to my room last night."

Seeing Hoshino En, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka showed a faint smile.

"I've found what I want to do from now on."

Yesterday's guidance from Hoshino En felt like it had opened a door to a new world for him. After going back, he lay in bed thinking for a long time—about his [freedom], and about his own thoughts.