Heya Kazama-kun~ (≧▽≦)✧
Ummm… I was wondering… would you maybe like to hang out with me sometime? (〃▽〃)
We could grab something sweet together ♡ Like parfaits~ (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و or crepes~~ ♪(´▽｀)
I promise I won't keep you too long~ (*≧ω≦) teehee
Sooo… what do you say? ＼(≧▽≦)／
In the afternoon during Chabashira's class, Akira had received an invitation from Kushida. Akira thought Kushida wasn't the kind of person to use her phone in class, but it looked like the lax atmosphere of this school had caught up to her.
Nevertheless, he would definitely go. Any opportunity to raise infatuation was something he couldn't let slip.
Besides, he was getting quite bored.
It had been about three weeks since Akira started living in ANHS. It was pretty much like any other high school. Taking classes every day about things he already knew and was aware of was jarring.
"Kazama, put that phone away."
Chabashira's voice cut through the classroom.
Akira looked up slowly. This was rather odd. No teacher had ever reprimanded a student for anything until now. Whether it was sleeping in class or using phones, no one cared. In fact, Sudō was taking a nap right now.
But Akira understood her emotions. She was probably mad at him for not taking charge and leading Class-D as she had hoped he would.
He knew about the S-system and had probably figured out the ongoing special exam as well, yet he refused to do anything except sit in the back like a background character.
"I was just—"
"Don't bother with excuses." Her tone was sharp, leaving no room for negotiation. "Come see me in the faculty office after class."
Akira could've refused her outright.
This school was different from others—the teachers couldn't really do anything about the students' behavior except deduct Class Points. Class-D had zero points, so there was no loss.
But Akira decided to go along with it. He wanted to see what Chabashira had to offer.
After class, Akira found his way into the faculty office.
Chabashira was waiting, leaning against her desk with her arms folded. The room was quiet.
"You're late," she said coldly.
"I was taking my time," Akira said, taking a seat. "So, what am I here for?"
"Don't you know already?" Chabashira narrowed her eyes. "You're here for using your phone in my class."
"I'm not an idiot, Chabashira-sensei. Class-D students have been using phones in nearly every class. You've never called any of them to the faculty room. It's clear there's something you want to say to me personally."
"That's right, you're not an idiot, Kazama. No other student in ANHS history has ever managed to figure out the S-system as fast as you did."
Akira was quite shocked that she mentioned the S-system to him.
Isn't there an exam going on? How could she mention that to him?
"I thought teachers weren't allowed to reveal information about the S-system to their students in the first month. Isn't that the whole point of this special exam?"
Chabashira couldn't confront him before, because school rules didn't permit it. Any hint given to students by their homeroom teacher would result in a deduction of Class Points.
Sadly, in just three weeks, Class-D had managed to lose all their points. So there was no point in beating around the bush anymore—she could reveal whatever information she wanted. It wouldn't make a difference.
"So you do know about the special exam," Chabashira said. "That begs the question: why haven't you acted until now?"
This was vital information for Chabashira. Despite knowing about the special exams and the S-system, Akira hadn't done anything with it.
He could've shared this information with his classmates, ensuring Class-D's victory in the exam. At the very least, they wouldn't have ended up with zero points.
Akira smiled faintly at her question. Her mood instantly darkened.
"Do you think this is a joke, Kazama? The way you sit back and do nothing, as though this doesn't concern you at all—Class-D has already hit rock bottom. Zero class points. Zero respect. At this rate, your classmates will be expelled one by one."
Chabashira was disappointed. Akira had raised her hopes only to crush them.
"I see." Akira took a slight pause, looking straight into her eyes. "And why should that concern me?"
Akira didn't give a damn about ANHS, Class-A, or Class-D. Why should it concern him? He wasn't going to stay here long enough to enjoy the benefits of graduating from Class-A, and hypothetically speaking, even if he did—did he really need them?
With all the knowledge and abilities he had, he was guaranteed to succeed in life.
"The benefits advertised by the school, the privilege of choosing any college or workplace after graduation, are only available to Class-A students. Are you aware of that?"
"I'm aware," Akira answered confidently.
"And still you choose not to act? I thought students came to this school for the privileges it provided after graduation. You must have chosen a college already, no? Are you fine with having your dreams crushed?"
The language Chabashira used was harsh, especially toward a fifteen-year-old teenager. Even though teenagers in this world were more mature than average, a teacher shouldn't talk like that.
"My dreams are fine, Chabashira-sensei. It's your dream of taking Class-D to Class-A that's been crushed."
Chabashira's eyes sharpened at the jab. No student had ever dared to talk to her like that.
"You sure have a sharp tongue, Kazama."
"The feeling's mutual."
Silence lingered in the air for a few moments before an exhausted breath left Chabashira's lips. She realized there was nothing she could do to control Akira. Whatever his reasons, he didn't want to reach Class-A. There was little anyone could do about it.
"You may leave then." She pointed toward the door. Akira wasted no time leaving.
ANHS dormitories were mostly empty most of the time. There simply weren't that many students on campus. If you included all three grades with four classes each, it totaled 360 students—without counting expulsions.
A college-sized campus for 360 students… of course it felt like a ghost town most of the time.
But Akira's mind was still filled with the conversation he had with Chabashira.
Chabashira hadn't given up on Akira yet. She had already devised a new plan to persuade him—using Horikita.
She had overheard the conversation between Manabu and Akira. She knew Akira shared some connection with Horikita. To her, it was most likely teen love, though she wasn't sure.
Nevertheless, her plan was to control Akira through Horikita. If she could push Horikita into leading Class-D, then Akira would eventually have to step up.
Akira knew all this—because he was peeking into her mind with Mind's Gate.
It showed just how overpowered Mind's Gate really was in a world like Classroom of the Elite. Reading and altering people's minds was unstoppable.
When Akira stepped back into the classroom, the afternoon light slanted in through the wide windows, painting the room in a soft glow. He slid into his seat with his usual calm demeanor.
Almost immediately, a girl came up to his seat with a radiant smile, he had a reputation where most people were nervous when interacting with him.
It was Kikyou Kushida.
"Ah, Kazama-kun!" she whispered, her voice low but sweet. "I'm really, really sorry… You got scolded because of me, didn't you?" Her eyes softened, guilt playing across her features as she cutely clapsed both her hands and apologised to Akira.
Akira wondered whether she felt truly sorry or not, he con use mind gate to figure out her true emotions but decided against it. It felt eerie peeking through someone else's mind, more or so someone two faced like her.
"Don't worry about it Kushida, It was my fault for using Phone in the Class anyway."
Her shoulders visibly relaxed at his words, and she leaned in closer, almost conspiratorially. "Ehehe… you're too kind, Kazama-kun. I'll make it up to you, I promise!"
Akira studied her face for a moment before asking, "So then… where exactly are we going out? You made it sound like a date."
At that, Kushida gave a sheepish laugh and twirled her hair with her fingers. "Ahaha… about that… It's not just the two of us." She tilted her head playfully, almost as though trying to soften the blow. "A bunch of other classmates are coming too. It's more like… a fun group outing!"
Akira's expression hardened, just slightly. His fingers tapped against the desk as he processed her words. A group outing? He had expected something entirely different a one on one chance to raise her infatuation, he had a well thought plan for Kushida as well and a date would be quite ideal.
For a moment, he considered rejecting it outright.
But then, he exhaled slowly. If it's a group outing, there's still value. Connections. Information. And, who knows, he might stumble upon a godsend opportunity.
"I see," Akira finally said, his voice calm but laced with a faint trace of irritation. "So it's not a date after all."
Kushida giggled nervously, giving him an exaggerated pout. "Mouu, don't be mad, Kazama-kun~! It'll still be fun, I promise!"
Akira leaned back in his chair, eyes closing briefly. "Fine. I'll go."
Her face lit up instantly, as if his agreement had made her day. "Yay! I knew you'd say yes! You won't regret it, promise-promise~♪"
She was actually geniunely happy this time.
Akira was the most popular student in the entire school right now, there had been some people who tried to ask him out, but he had outrightly declined them without hesitation.
Kushida managing to convince him to an outing will give a significant boost to her popularity.