D Class's Three Great Sauces

The one who questioned me was Tokito Yuya; I remember him well, as he was the student who openly defied Ryuen during the unanimous special exam in the second-year arc.

Known for his competitive nature, abrasive speech, and tendency to hold grudges, he had initially only submitted to Ryuen temporarily, waiting until much later to lash out—though it ultimately didn't amount to much.

However, I was quite satisfied that he stepped up to be the nail that stuck out at this very moment.

As long as this thorn could be removed, Class C would truly become an impenetrable monolith.

"Tokito-kun, that is an excellent question. Everyone in this world harbors selfish motives, and neither Ryuen nor I are exceptions.

Ryuen-kun's motive is simple: he wants to be the first in this school's history to lead his class to Class A through a collective point-accumulation strategy. Once that goal is achieved, it matters little whether he personally promotes to Class A or not.

In other words, to prove his capability, he doesn't need to reach Class A himself; he only needs to drag every single member of Class C there with him.

After all, while the path of leading a class to Class A via class points is steady and clear, corporations value profit. Through this operation, Ryuen can best demonstrate his ability to generate wealth.

As for my own motive, it is even simpler. I do not care whether I promote to Class A, because I am to return home after graduating from here; I am an international student.

My arrival at this school was an accident to begin with. You can interpret my participation in this operation alongside Ryuen as me gathering material for my writing. The more spectacular the stories that unfold in this school, the more my personal interests are satisfied.

Before coming to this country, I already possessed a certain reputation; otherwise, I would not have been able to establish a club outside the school's rules. You need only consult the teachers regarding this point, and the points you spend to acquire that information will prove the truth of my words."

After explaining all of this to the students, I naturally took the thermos from Hiyori and moistened my throat with tea.

"In that case, take all the points the school issues to me every month! Since Ryuen-kun and Sima-kun have such resolve, I, Tokito Yuya, will certainly not fall behind!"

Something unexpected happened: Tokito placed his student ID card on my desk with decisive, unwavering speed.

"Can't let you have all the spotlight, Tokito. Count me in."

Suzuki Hidetoshi became the second person to place his student ID card on my desk.

"S-sorry, I still need to keep some points for emergencies, so please, leave me three thousand points!"

The third person to hand over her card was Manabe Shiho. Their desire to keep a reserve for emergencies was logical, and I did not encourage others to follow Tokito and Suzuki's example of leaving nothing behind.

By the time the lunch break began, I held the student ID cards of everyone in Class C, with the exception of Ryuen.

After leaving three thousand points for everyone to use in case of emergency, I had Hiyori return the cards to them one by one.

In the Traditional Literature Club room at noon, Ryuen was busy calculating the total points submitted by each class member with Hiyori's assistance.

I stood at the cooking station, stir-frying the ingredients left over from last night, while Ishizaki and Albert were still on their way back from the cafeteria with vegetable sets.

"You bastard, painting me in such a noble light—you're just trying to prop me up as a target, aren't you!"

Ryuen, who had been standing outside the classroom door listening to the entire exchange, finally realized something was amiss.

Because I had fully delegated the leadership of Class C to him, Ryuen had now truly become the leader of the entire class. From now on, he would be the one to take the heat for any trouble, and he wouldn't be the one to reap the benefits—a truly miserable position.

"You should be counting your blessings instead of overthinking things. Look at the other three classes in our grade: Class A is divided by internal strife despite their outward unity, and Class D is still nothing but cliques, with zero execution and no ability to formulate strategy.

Only Class B has achieved integration. Class C students are far inferior to the upper classes of A and B in terms of overall quality, and as a leader, you can't even hold a candle to Ichinose of Class B when it comes to charisma.

I've already pushed the limits of what I can do to help you win over the hearts of Class C through peaceful means. Or did you want to rely on violence? Look at Tokito—does he look like someone who would be easily cowed by force? Relying solely on violence is a good way to trip up and fall into a ditch!"

"Fair point."

It was rare for Ryuen to refrain from talking back after being lectured by me.

"Tell me about the current situation in Class D. I believe you should have a decent grasp of it by now."

This topic could easily sour the mood, so I decisively changed the subject.

"It's only been a day and a half; how could I know that much? At most, I've only gathered information on the leaders of those little cliques in Class D.

As of now, I don't see anyone in Class D capable of integrating the class. That boy named Hirata is wishy-washy; he lacks the decisiveness of a leader and is at best a second-in-command.

That girl, Kushida Kikyo, gives me the feeling that there's something deeply wrong with her. Judging by her behavior, she's a talented socialite, but I can't grasp her objective, nor can I figure out where her profit lies.

I've already given orders for everyone in our class not to leak any information to her. If she makes a move, they are to deflect with the scripted nonsense I've distributed. If they can borrow money from her, then they may continue to interact.

Horikita Suzune is someone who can be easily manipulated, but considering the student council president is behind her, I'll avoid provoking her until I've gauged his stance.

Finally, there's Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, whom you placed at the top yesterday. My observation so far is that his emotions remain flat regardless of the situation. It's been too short a time to see his potential. Could your judgment be wrong?"

After commenting on the three main figures of Class D and Ayanokoji, Ryuen looked at me, trying to read something from my expression.

"Class D actually has the potential for integration, though it's unlikely they will ever elect a single leader to represent the entire class like we have.

Instead, they will likely adopt a method similar to a council to make decisions. In a class like theirs, Hirata can win the favor of the girls, and the boys trust him as well.

Kushida can maintain at least a superficial friendliness with everyone, and Horikita is the type to light the fuse. If those three were to combine, integration might be possible.

As for Ayanokoji? You should pay more attention to him in other aspects later on, especially regarding the most fundamental common sense."