Just as everyone's opinion of Kazami improved a little, and they thought he was about to present a serious plan... it turned out they had still underestimated him.
The boy at the lectern turned solemn, looking like a master strategist who could command a battle from a thousand miles away. He slowly spoke, presenting the peerless scheme he had been brewing for so long.
"I have a plan that can save our Class D from certain doom."
At those words, everyone fell silent. Those who had only been watching for fun grew serious too. A flicker of anticipation crossed Hirata's eyes, and Horikita raised her gaze slightly, intending to hear just what strategy he had.
Kazami looked down over the class and explained his plan. "What situation is our class in right now? Our Class Points are at zero. We're as far down at the bottom as we can get. Since we already have zero points, what do we have to fear? What else can we lose? They can't deduct us into negative numbers anyway. There's absolutely no room to fall, so naturally, we don't have to fear point deductions."
Everyone froze at his words, bizarrely finding that he actually had a point.
Then Kazami continued his explanation. "This plan is called-the Self-Destruct Tactic."
"Since we can't close the points gap with the other three classes, and hard work and grades won't let us catch up in the short term, we'll take another route. We don't need to get stronger. We'll drag all of them down to our level!"
"Next, we'll send our class's famous Five Great Idiots to take turns causing trouble in the other three classes, stirring up conflicts like crazy and triggering point deductions. Everyone loses points, everyone hits zero, and once we're all at the same starting line, our Class D will actually have the least to lose!"
Chabashira-sensei, who had been standing to the side listening throughout, had been calmly drinking from her cup. After hearing this deranged Self-Destruct Tactic, she nearly choked on the water she had just swallowed. She really hadn't expected Kazami to propose a scheme like this.
Kazami didn't pause, continuing to flesh out his Self-Destruct Tactic. "This plan is absolutely feasible! Right, I know three of the Five Great Idiots: Sudo, Yamauchi, and Ike."
The three who had been named in front of everyone instantly bristled.
Haruki Yamauchi looked utterly indignant and immediately slapped his desk in protest. "Hey! Who are you calling one of the Five Great Idiots?! Who's spreading this stupid ranking? I absolutely refuse to accept it!"
Ken Sudō seethed. "Bastard! Watch your mouth!"
Kanji Ike was furious too. "That's going too far! I just like looking for girlfriends! How does that make me an idiot?!"
Kazami paid no mind to their protests. "Quiet! Those who achieve great things don't sweat the small stuff! Now we have three key players ready. Who are the other two? Private Kushida, you tell us."
Kushida: ...
Kushida, who had been happily enjoying the show, was suddenly called on. What the hell do you mean, the class private?! Everyone else got to be either a strategist or a key player, but she was assigned straight to the rank and file. And you think you can be the boss? I'll be the first to object.
But when she thought of something funny, Kushida hesitated for a long while, her cheeks flushing slightly, before she stammered quietly.
"Um... if, if I tell you, don't get mad..."
Kazami waved a hand with boundless bravado. "Speak freely! Don't hold back! Who exactly are the remaining two idiots?!"
Kikyo Kushida took a deep breath and lowered her voice. "They're... you and Ayanokoji."
Kazami Saku: "..."
Kiyotaka Ayanokoji: "..."
Kazami had never imagined he would be included. He slammed the lectern, filled with righteous indignation. "This is outrageous! Who's spreading this stupid ranking?! They actually classified me as an idiot! They'd better not let me catch them, because I absolutely won't let them off!"
Sudo curled his lip. "Weren't you just saying those who achieve great things don't sweat the small stuff? Now it's about you, suddenly it's not okay."
In the back row, Ayanokoji remained expressionless, his gaze calm, pondering whether he really had done something he shouldn't have.
His first strategy had failed. Kazami truly hadn't expected to be one of the five great kings himself.
But Kazami wasn't discouraged in the slightest. Undeterred by repeated defeats, he swiftly launched his second plan.
"Since the Self-Destruct Tactic is too radical and nobody wants to cooperate, I'll try something else! Plan two-the Extortion Tactic!"
Kazami turned his gaze to Yamauchi below the lectern and spoke solemnly. "Next, I'll be deploying our top general-Haruki Yamauchi!"
Kushida silently curled her lip, grumbling inwardly. He was a key member of the Five Great Idiots a moment ago, and now he's been promoted to general. These promotions and demotions are way too arbitrary. Even a mere Yamauchi outranks me. This temporary boss really is unreliable. Sooner or later, he'll be ousted.
Yamauchi, abruptly promoted, looked bewildered and stupidly raised a hand to point at himself. "Me?"
"That's right, you!" Kazami nodded and offered an enticing deal. "The class will fund this out of our shared budget. We'll give you one thousand Private Points and entrust you with a top-secret mission-pursuing girls from other classes!"
Yamauchi's eyebrows instantly rose, his face full of disdain and arrogance. "One thousand points? Who do you think you're looking down on? With my charm, three thousand is the bare minimum!"
After that grand display of bravado, Kazami had wondered how much he would demand, only to find he wanted such a small increase. "Sure! Three thousand it is! Deal!"
Then he lowered his voice and revealed the core of the extortion scheme. "General Yamauchi, remember: as long as the girl refuses your advances and won't give you points... ahem, won't provide compensation for emotional comfort, you stay right by her side the entire time! Go to school with her, eat with her, and escort her all the way home after school. The whole idea is to stay close by her side and never leave!"
Yamauchi's scalp prickled as he listened, and he hurriedly asked, "D-doesn't that violate school rules? Following someone around all the time is way too weird!"
Kazami bluffed with a perfectly straight face and complete confidence. "General Yamauchi, the law can't restrain the sincere pursuit of love. How could mere school rules possibly restrict your romance? Go for it boldly. If anything happens, I'll take responsibility!"
It wasn't as if his own reputation would suffer when the time came, anyway. Even if someone was useless trash, he, Strategist Kazami, could still put him to work.
Still uneasy, Yamauchi continued to agonize over it. "Then don't I need to attend class? If I'm following someone around all the time, what about my studies?"
That made Kazami laugh outright, and he spoke very seriously. "With grades like yours, would missing a few classes make a difference? Attending more or fewer would make practically no difference."
Yamauchi was instantly at a loss for words. Even he wasn't so slow that he couldn't tell this guy was absolutely taking a jab at his poor grades!
Just then, Yamauchi had a sudden idea and asked slyly, "Then... do I follow her to the bathroom too? Like you said, keeping her company in every possible way?"
This time, it was Kazami's turn to freeze completely.
He stared blankly at Yamauchi and his bizarre imagination, fell silent for two seconds, then waved his hands repeatedly with a horrified expression. "Let's skip that! Going too far could get you expelled outright. We're doing moderate extortion, not perverted stalking!"
That wouldn't just be a matter of school rules; the law would come after him too. Kazami had thought he was already quite... but he hadn't expected there to be an even greater master. He really couldn't underestimate anyone in this world.
Before you continue