After saying goodbye to Kamuro Masumi, Shiraishi Makoto sent another message, asking another classmate to meet him downstairs in the dormitory.
Before long, the person Shiraishi had been waiting for arrived.
"This is our first time properly introducing ourselves, Ayanokoji." Shiraishi held out his hand. "I'm Shiraishi Makoto from Class A. I remember we met at the convenience store on the first day of school."
"I think so, Shiraishi." Ayanokoji held out his hand and gave Shiraishi a brief shake, his expression calm and unreadable. "As you know, my name is Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. I wonder what you wanted to see me about in the middle of the night."
"It's nothing important." Shiraishi glanced around before asking, "I wonder what you think of Class A, Ayanokoji."
"...Nothing." Ayanokoji waited a moment before replying.
"But you've been working toward becoming Class A all along, Ayanokoji."
"I'm just going along with Horikita..."
"That's true. You don't have many friends in Class D, either."
"You'll hurt my feelings if you say that."
The two traded vague remarks for a while before Shiraishi's smile faded and he slowly got to the point. "I'm actually quite afraid of you, Ayanokoji."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean exactly what I said. I'm worried about what you'll do if you get serious."
"...So you do know who I am?" Ayanokoji's expression didn't change, but a trace of concealed pressure came through.
"That's right. I know you came from that place." Shiraishi readily admitted it.
There was no need to hide anything from Ayanokoji. He wouldn't care how Shiraishi had learned about the White Room. Besides, Shiraishi now had two ways of finding out about it: Kanzaki Ryuji and Sakayanagi Arisu.
Both came from wealthy families, and both knew about the White Room.
Ayanokoji looked at Shiraishi and stayed silent for a moment before speaking. "You're not the sort of person who wants me to leave the school, are you?"
"Not necessarily." Shiraishi paused. "If you start taking an active part in the exams and try to lead Class D to Class A, then I'll do it to protect Class A."
"So you came to challenge me?"
"Quite the opposite. I actually came to propose that we work together." Shiraishi changed tack.
"Work together?" Even Ayanokoji Kiyotaka couldn't figure out what the two of them could possibly work together on.
"On the first, your homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae, called you and Horikita over and asked you to help the class advance, right?" Shiraishi explained.
That reminder brought to mind another person Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had encountered in the office that day: Hoshinomiya Chie, the homeroom teacher of Class A. Hoshinomiya-sensei had chatted with him for a while, and it was only after Chabashira-sensei showed up that the two of them were taken away.
Shiraishi briefly explained the history between Hoshinomiya and Chabashira, then continued, "Hoshinomiya-sensei noticed you two that day. She looked up your entrance exam records and saw that you'd scored exactly fifty in every subject, so she sent me to judge whether you had what it took to lead a class."
"That's why I came to negotiate with you, Ayanokoji. I know better than anyone else at this school how capable you are, so I want to prevent the worst-case scenario."
"Sorry, Shiraishi... I'm not quite sure what you mean by the worst-case scenario."
"Why did you decide to come to Advanced Nurturing High School, Ayanokoji?" Shiraishi asked in return.
"...I wanted to see what it was like to go to school and live like an ordinary person." After a few seconds of thought, Ayanokoji gave that answer.
His "avoid trouble at all costs" attitude was just a disguise, a fabricated persona he'd adopted because he was worried about acting differently from a "normal student."
He was tired of having his father control his life and longed for freedom. More importantly, he wanted to learn about the "worldly matters" his father considered unnecessary, understand the true meaning of "equality," and find out what "strength" really meant.
"I'll help keep you from being expelled for various other reasons. In exchange, I want you to hold back when you contribute—at the very least, don't make becoming Class A your goal."
"If I don't, you'll make me leave the school right away?" Ayanokoji Kiyotaka scratched his head.
"It's not that extreme. You came to this school precisely because it has the connections and resources to stand up to your father." Shiraishi smiled. "But if your father hears about you, he'll probably do everything he can to get around the 'rules.' I don't know how long the school can hold out, either."
In reality, the school had withstood nearly all the pressure from Ayanokoji's father. Only Shiraishi, with his god's-eye view, knew that.
Ayanokoji fell silent for a moment, then said flatly, "It seems I don't have much choice."
"It's not a difficult condition." Shiraishi's tone softened, too. "It won't stop you from carrying out your homeroom teacher's task, either. If you don't make it to Class A in the end, it'll just mean your classmates weren't cooperative enough."
"Then let's do that." Ayanokoji Kiyotaka gave a slight nod, accepting Shiraishi's proposal.
"Then let me give you something first." Shiraishi took an electronic device out of his bag.
"Is this... a voice recorder?" Ayanokoji looked a little surprised.
"That's right, though I wasn't recording just now." Shiraishi handed the recorder to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. "As I explained, Chabashira-sensei is clearly determined to get her class into Class A. To make sure she doesn't hear anything from the outside and do something reckless, you should keep your guard up around her from now on."
"Thanks." Ayanokoji Kiyotaka took the recorder and slipped it into his bag.
"It's getting late. We should head back."
The two headed toward the dormitory, one behind the other, but unexpectedly came across two figures.
"No matter how much I avoid you, it won't change the fact that you're my sister. If the people around you find out about what you've done, I'll be the one who loses face. Leave this school at once."
"I-I can't... I... I'll definitely make it to Class A...!"
"How foolish. I'll make you suffer like you did in the past."
"Brother—I—"
"You don't have the strength or the right to climb higher. Understand that."
As Horikita Manabu grabbed Horikita Suzune by the collar with both hands, Shiraishi stepped into the light.
"President, even if you're scolding your sister, you shouldn't be so rough."
"Shiraishi, why are you here?" Seeing that someone else was present, Horikita Manabu let go of Horikita Suzune.
"I was just studying." Shiraishi held up the review materials in his hand. He hadn't gone back to the dorm after leaving the library.
"I was only dealing with a private matter between my sister and me. I'm sorry you had to see that." Horikita Manabu looked displeased. It seemed that just seeing his troublesome little sister annoyed him.
"Whatever you're teaching her, you should remember you're at school." Shiraishi's meaning was clear. "Why not leave it to me? I'll make sure Horikita doesn't get expelled or anything."
Before you continue