Classroom of the Elite: I Can Assign My Master's Tasks

Nangong Cheng went straight back to Class D.

Horikita Suzune was still sitting at her desk reading, like a snow lotus blooming alone on an icy mountain—beautiful from afar, but impossible to approach.

"Ms. Chabashira already knows what we did this morning. She wants me to lead Class D up the ranks."

"What do you think?"

I think I'll sit and watch. Maybe even lie down and watch.

Nangong Cheng leaned back in his chair with his hands behind his head, looking thoroughly relaxed.

"What exactly did she say to you?"

Horikita Suzune frowned, perhaps searching for the right words.

"She heard from the other three homeroom teachers that we'd sold information. At first, she thought we shouldn't have done it."

"But when I told her it was your idea, she fell silent for a while, then asked me about you."

Nangong Cheng raised an eyebrow.

Sae Chabashira... had a hint of what an adult Horikita Suzune might have been like if she had never met Kiyotaka Ayanokoji.

Her reputation was rather poor, but she probably had plenty of admirers who cared about looks.

"What did you tell her?"

"I haven't even known you for a full twenty-four hours. Naturally, I said I didn't know much."

Horikita Suzune's tone remained steady. Nangong Cheng knew she was clumsily trying to imitate Horikita Manabu.

Manabu might become his brother-in-law someday, but as a man, Nangong Cheng wanted to be the one who mattered most to Suzune.

Yeah. I'll have to do something about that.

"But after I told her what you'd said to me earlier, she went quiet again. Then she let me leave without saying anything else."

Horikita Suzune paused and glanced at Nangong Cheng before adding, "I think she'll try to speak to you alone, too. Watch out."

"Yeah, I know."

Nangong Cheng stretched.

Sae Chabashira's obsession was no weaker than Kushida Kikyo's. Once she learned that he had sold information and intended to reach Class A on his own, she was bound to come looking for him.

Just as she had gone to Kiyotaka Ayanokoji in the original story.

This time, though, she would probably be disappointed.

Nangong Cheng had no desire to become Class D's full-time caretaker. He would leave that thankless work to Horikita Suzune; she was happy to do it anyway.

Speaking of Horikita Suzune, Nangong Cheng had another idea.

The trial recommendation starts today. From now until the book goes on sale, I'll generally keep to three updates a day.

So I'm begging you, dear readers, not to let chapters pile up. Even if you only have time to open one and scroll to the bottom, that helps.

If you have any spare votes, I'd be grateful for your support. Thank you so much!

I'm also looking for ideas for items, preferably on the technology side. If you have anything imaginative in mind, please leave a comment.

Compensation for Later

Before long, school was over.

Nangong Cheng was about to stand when the phone in his uniform pocket vibrated.

He took it out and looked—

[Classmate Nangong, we had to leave in a hurry last time. Do you have time to get properly acquainted today?]

The message was from Kushida Kikyo.

Nangong Cheng glanced at her, chatting cheerfully with her little group, and realized she had scheduled the message.

"I heard clubs are recruiting today, and the Student Council president might show up. Are you going?"

Rather than reply immediately, he turned to Horikita Suzune, who was tidying her desk.

She visibly froze for a beat.

"You knew?"

"I guessed when you mentioned that 'upperclassman.' Don't forget, the Student Council president introduced himself at the entrance ceremony."

Horikita Suzune was caught off guard.

She had completely forgotten that detail.

But...

"Go or don't. It's up to you. But if you do go, pass along a message for me while you're there. I'll pay you for the errand."

"...What message?"

The money didn't matter. Horikita Suzune just wanted to know what Nangong Cheng was planning now.

"I'll send it to your phone in a bit." Nangong Cheng glanced without a change of expression at Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, who was still in the corner learning how to act like an ordinary person.

Then he looked at Sakura Airi, who had yet to leave the classroom.

"See you tomorrow, Sakura."

"S-see you tomorrow..."

Sakura Airi quietly watched Nangong Cheng leave until he disappeared from view. Then she rose with a furtive hunch and slipped out of the classroom.

Kushida Kikyo had been keeping an eye on the back of the room. Not only had Nangong Cheng read her message without replying, he had left as though nothing had happened.

A surge of anger flared inside her.

On the outside, she was as sweet as ever.

"Kushida, there's a club recruitment event later. Should we take a look?"

"Are there any clubs you want to join?"

Kushida Kikyo wasn't interested in club activities. They would eat into her free time.

But that was how school culture worked here.

So if she had a choice, she would join a club obscure enough to accept members who never showed up.

As Kushida Kikyo entertained that thought while keeping up with her friends' conversation, her phone suddenly vibrated.

Could it be?

[The café.]

The message was, of course, from Nangong Cheng.

Her mood brightened a little.

"Why don't we sit down at the café for a while?"

"There's no rush to choose a club. I heard recruitment lasts a week, so we can find out more before picking one we like."

With a little nudging, she brought the discussion to an end.

Kushida Kikyo's influence was already becoming apparent.

Before leaving the classroom, she glanced at Horikita Suzune, who was also getting up to go. An unreadable look flickered in her eyes.

Fifteen minutes later.

Nangong Cheng watched Kushida Kikyo enter the café with her friends, his smile not quite reaching his eyes.

"Classmate Nangong! What a coincidence~"

"Kushida? It really is a coincidence."

Come on... You can fool other people, but don't fool yourself. You've played the part long enough.

The moment he saw her message, Nangong Cheng had guessed what she wanted. Either she was after another task, or she wanted to get to Horikita Suzune through him.

Too bad. You made the wrong choice.

If she had gone to the club recruitment event, she might have crossed paths with Horikita Suzune. By choosing to meet him instead, she had lost her chance at a task today; the day's quota was already filled.

You lose either way.

"These must be Inokashira and Wang Meiyu, right? Nice to meet you. I'm Nangong Cheng."

When he introduced himself again, Nangong Cheng deliberately pronounced Wang Meiyu's name in fluent Chinese.

Sure enough, her eyes lit up.

"Your Chinese sounds so natural! Nangong... are you Chinese?"

"Yes. It's great to meet someone from home here, Wang." Nangong Cheng answered Wang Meiyu in Chinese again.

Meeting someone from home in a foreign country was enough to bring tears to one's eyes.

Cultural differences were notoriously hard to adjust to. Ever since Wang Meiyu had come to Japan with her parents, she had struggled with the customs here.

School culture in particular.

She had suffered her share of slights. Her social skills were good enough to spare her the worst of the bullying, at least.

But life still hadn't been easy.

She started talking at once.

As the leader of their little group, Kushida Kikyo felt her temper rise again. Nangong Cheng was chatting away with her friend right in front of her, and she couldn't even understand what they were saying.

"What are you two talking about, Nangong?"

"And you never told us you were Chinese when we introduced ourselves in class. You really kept us in the dark~"

Nangong Cheng was unmoved by Kushida Kikyo's calculated cuteness.

Wang Meiyu, however, grew flustered.

"Sorry, sorry, Kushida! We didn't mean to leave you out. We just got a little excited and talked about things back home."

"It didn't seem that important, and telling people can get you strange looks. That's why I never mentioned it," Nangong Cheng added, smoothing things over.

After all, he had deliberately spoken Chinese to catch Wang Meiyu's attention and put pressure on Kushida Kikyo.

But Wang Meiyu was an innocent girl with no ulterior motive. He couldn't let her take the blame for him.

"All right~"

Kushida Kikyo had to swallow her frustration.

She hadn't sought Nangong Cheng out today for no reason... she was already eager to take on a second task.

She understood that a task she was unwilling to do could bring a severe punishment. But... there were simply too many tempting things in the exchange shop.

So even though she could sense that Nangong Cheng was deliberately keeping his distance, she had chosen to approach him anyway.

Besides, she now had another reason.

Nangong Cheng was getting too close to Horikita Suzune!

Horikita Suzune's personality made it unlikely she would talk to anyone about it, but Kushida Kikyo refused to gamble on someone else's goodwill.

"I understand how you feel, so take your time chatting in private. But right now, you're not allowed to leave Inokashira and me out."

"My fault. It won't happen again."

Nangong Cheng merely smiled.

If I started meeting Wang Meiyu in private all the time, you'd probably sulk again and take it out on the poor girl.