Before they knew it, April was drawing to a close.
At the front of the classroom, Mashima Tomoya clearly explained the arrangements for the quiz. "The school will hold a quiz this Wednesday. You can all relax—this test is only for 'reference' and won't count toward your final grades. However, I must emphasize one thing: cheating is absolutely forbidden. Anyone caught will face serious consequences."
The quiz will cover everything you've learned so far. As long as you've been paying attention in class, you could pass with your eyes closed.
"Even though the results won't count toward your grades, I still hope you'll take this test seriously."
With that, Mashima Tomoya headed straight out of the classroom.
As soon as he left, Katsuragi stood up from his seat. He walked steadily to the front of the classroom and let his gaze sweep over the room before speaking. "Mr. Mashima just said the results would be for 'reference,' but he didn't explain what they'd be used as a reference for. My guess is that there might be another important exam next month, and our performance this time could be related to it. So—" He paused, his voice growing clearer. "I hope everyone will still take this quiz seriously."
Just then, Sakayanagi lifted her eyes slightly and spoke in her usual calm, gentle voice. "I think Katsuragi's analysis is very thorough. I agree with him."
The few students who had been whispering fell silent. Someone had been gripping a pen, about to speak, but seeing that even Sakayanagi, who was usually the most perceptive, had made her position clear, they hesitated, then swallowed their words.
A few girls in the front row, who had been wavering just moments earlier, exchanged glances and quietly tucked their open manga into their desks. If both Katsuragi and Sakayanagi said so, then it seemed they really should take this quiz seriously.
Ring, ring—
The dismissal bell on Thursday afternoon sounded like a string that had been stretched taut for too long, suddenly released with an excited tremble.
With the final exam over, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. They'd been exhausted from studying these past few days. It was time to unwind.
Uesugi Hara gazed at Sakayanagi Arisu, whose figure still stood tall among the crowd, and thought that it was time he had a chat with the little girl.
He walked over and said, "Miss Arisu, could we talk? About the class."
Sakayanagi Arisu turned her head. Her silver-white hair glowed softly in the sunlight, and a faint smile curved her lips. "Oh? Since when did you become so concerned about the class, Uesugi?" Her tone held a trace of teasing.
"As a member of the class, naturally I care about it." Uesugi Hara's voice was calm, betraying no particular emotion.
"Hehe." Sakayanagi Arisu laughed softly, her voice as clear as wind chimes. "Since you've gone out of your way to invite me, how could I refuse? How about the library? It's quieter there and would be perfect for a conversation." As she spoke, she headed for the classroom door, her steps light and graceful, with her little maid, Kamuro Masumi, close behind.
The library smelled of old books and wooden shelves. Afternoon sunlight streamed through the high windows, casting a few long shafts of light across the floor.
Sakayanagi Arisu chose a seat by the window. Her fingers gently traced the pattern on her cane as she turned to Uesugi Hara, who had followed her. "Go ahead, Uesugi. You went out of your way to talk to me about the class. Surely you don't just want to discuss the quiz?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Kamuro Masumi, quick to read the room, set a steaming cup of coffee beside Sakayanagi without making a sound.
Uesugi Hara sat opposite them. His gaze swept over the coffee in front of the little girl, then flicked toward Kamuro. His look clearly said, What about mine?
Kamuro seemed to get the hint, but deliberately raised her chin and glared at him, answering with her eyes, If you want some, go pour it yourself.
Sakayanagi Arisu watched their exchange, a faint smile spreading across her lips and softening the light in her eyes.
Uesugi Hara stopped bickering with Kamuro and turned to Sakayanagi. "I wanted to ask: if you became the class leader, what would you do?"
Sakayanagi Arisu's fingers paused around her coffee cup. Steam from its rim veiled half her face, but her voice carried a knowing chuckle. "Are you asking whether I'd harm the class's interests, Uesugi?"
She gently set the cup down, the metal coaster making a soft clink against the table.
"Look at this quiz, for example. Some people think that because it 'won't count toward their grades,' they can slack off. Others think there's a trap hidden behind the word 'reference.' There will always be two different voices in the class, won't there?"
Her fingers traced the pattern on her cane. "If I were the class leader, I wouldn't rush to make everyone take things seriously. But I'd at least make them understand that every choice could become a bargaining chip next time."
Uesugi raised an eyebrow. "So you'd keep an eye on everyone?"
"Of course not." She looked out the window, where the late-April sunlight was spilling over the library roof. "I only need to make sure the people who need to wake up stay alert—for example, Katsuragi, who can influence half the class, and you, who seem carefree but are unusually clever."
As she said this, she turned to meet his gaze, a sly glint in her eyes. "After all, once the clever ones get moving, everyone else will follow, won't they?"
Uesugi Hara tapped his fingers absently against his knee, his gaze settling on the intricate pattern around her cane. "You do know how to save yourself some effort." It was hard to tell whether he was mocking her or agreeing.
Sakayanagi Arisu smiled softly and lifted a hand to brush away a strand of hair the breeze had blown against her cheek. "Saving effort doesn't mean it won't work. Look at Katsuragi. He's always talking about how seriously people should take things, but the only ones who really listen are the ones who were already willing to work hard." She paused and glanced over the students bent over their books in the library. "But if even they start slacking off, then the class really will start to fall behind."
"So your job would be to keep hold of the people who can 'set the pace'?" Uesugi Hara pressed.
"Something like that." She tapped the top of her cane with a finger. "It's like playing chess. You don't need to watch every piece. Just put your rooks, knights, and bishops where they belong, and the pawns will know to move forward on their own."
As she spoke, she tilted her head. Her pale eyes shone in the sunlight. "Uesugi, do you think you're a rook or a knight?"
Uesugi Hara met her gaze. After a moment's silence, he curved his lips into a faint smile. "I'm probably a pawn who doesn't feel like moving just yet." (Who cares what I am, as long as I don't end up being a workhorse like Kamuro!)
"Not necessarily." Sakayanagi Arisu's laugh was as light as a feather. "Once a pawn crosses the river, it might be even harder to stop than a rook." The wind outside suddenly picked up, rustling the pages. It seemed to add a touch of meaning to the words left unsaid.
"I can get Katsuragi to give up his bid to become class leader, but you'll have to leave him a position as your deputy—I'm worried you'll go off the rails in the future." Uesugi Hara's tone was calm, but his seriousness left no room for argument.
Sakayanagi Arisu's fingers paused around her cane. When she raised her eyes, a knowing smile had already spread across them. "Is this what you discussed with Katsuragi at Palette last week, Uesugi?" She even remembered the café's name perfectly.
Uesugi Hara tapped a finger lightly against the edge of the table and didn't bother to hide it anymore. "More or less." Just as expected, nothing got past her.
"Fine." Sakayanagi Arisu agreed readily, then changed the subject. A sly glint flashed in her pale eyes. "But I have a condition too—you have to be my deputy as well."
The corner of Uesugi Hara's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. The little girl was clearly up to no good.
He glanced at Sakayanagi Arisu. She was resting her chin on her hand as she watched him, the knowing smile in her eyes impossible to hide. It was obvious she wouldn't back down.
In the end, Uesugi Hara let out a helpless sigh and rubbed his fingers against the edge of the table. "Fine, I'll do it. But I'm telling you now, I won't handle anything too troublesome."
"That can be arranged."
With that, the leadership structure of Class A was finally settled, at least for the time being, after these two conversations.
How would this turn of events, so different from the original story, open up a new path for the tale? What unexpected changes would it bring? I was already looking forward to finding out.
That was what Uesugi Hara thought.