July 1st, Wednesday
I woke up a bit later than usual. I couldn't continue my morning exercises because my leg was injured, so I decided that the best option for now was to rest for as long as possible.
After shaking off the laziness, I got up to take a shower. It didn't take me long before I put on my school uniform. Today was the first of July, so we received our monthly points. That is, if we haven't lost more points like we did in June.
But I guess I was worrying for nothing. Because according to the novel canon, this month was when Class D earned their first points. It had been a total of 87 points.
I grabbed my school-provided phone, opened the pre-installed school app, and logged in using my student ID and password. Then, I selected the "Point Balance Inquiry" option from the menu.
72,485 PPt → 86,985 PPt ↑
On the first day of each month, they multiplied the class points, or class points, by 100, and then deposited that amount into our private point accounts. We used these private points to buy daily necessities, food, and even appliances. In this school, points are the currency. They're very important.
I quickly did some mental math to figure out how many points we had earned this month. We gained a total of 14,500 private points. That meant we had 145 private points.
In June, we had 55 points. So, we gained a total of 90 points this month. It wasn't a huge amount of points if we compare it to the canon, but it was still an improvement of 3 points due to the exams. It was a small change, but quite significant.
Now that I think about it, in the canon, they didn't give out the points at the beginning of the month because of the delay with Sudō's case. But since Sudō's case doesn't exist in this timeline, then I can assume that the points delay also doesn't exist.
That's a good thing. I want to get through the Class D problems quickly so I can prepare for summer vacation or the island and cruise exams. Plus, I've been thinking a lot about this. Though I'm not very sure, I want to decide to talk to Ayanokōji privately.
But I guess for now, it's better to focus on what I have right now than worry about future problems. Even if Ryūen failed with his plan and didn't file a complaint with the school, he might try another attack against another Class D student.
In this case, the most problematic would be Ike or Yamauchi. Most students in the school knew them as the most perverted people in this school. Or at least in the case of first-year students.
Ryūen could use that to his advantage. That's why it would be better to counterattack now. Maybe Ryūen realized that reporting to the school would be useless and idiotic. But that doesn't mean he can't attack another student so he can at least cancel our counterattack.
For now, I'll observe and be patient. But I'll be on the lookout for any suspicious moves from Class C.
Anyway, I checked the time on my phone to see how much time was left until classes started.
7:25 AM
I better start walking because if I keep thinking about this too much, I might be late since I have to walk slowly. And the school complex is a bit far from the dorms.
I left my room to start heading out of the freshman dorms. I met people in the elevator, but no one I recognized. So I stayed quiet and silent until the elevator finished descending.
After leaving the dorms, it took me a few minutes to reach the school complex. Although I tried to walk as normally as possible, I still felt twinges in my ankle, causing me to limp a few times. So it was inevitable that some people noticed.
I don't know where my slight popularity came from, to be honest. But I guess I gained a bit of attention when I went to the gym, especially from the girls. Not that I cared, but even so, it's a bit uncomfortable to receive some of the looks from girls you don't even know.
I took my school-provided cell phone from my jacket pocket to check the time of day again.
7:52 AM.
At least I'll be able to get to class on time. I wonder if the other classes will have the same points they had in the novel or if they'll be different, after all, I've made quite a few changes to the timeline. Even though I'm barely at the beginning of Volume 2.
I briefly stopped by the classroom. It corresponds to Class D, and therefore, to me as well.
With a tired sigh, I entered the room.
I looked around, it seemed I was the last one to arrive again. This was the second time I arrived last at the beginning of the month. But since I arrived on time, then no one could complain. After all, some of my classmates, whom I won't name, were sometimes late to class.
"Good morning, Nakatomi-san," Inogashira greeted me when she saw me enter the classroom.
"Good morning," I nodded, smiling at her before approaching her. "By the way, Inogashira, my friend is grateful to you for the letter. She said it was very helpful." I gave her a thumbs up.
"Uh, um. That's good If I could help Nakatomi-san. Then it's not a problem," Inogashira replied.
"Good morning, Hiroki-kun," Yōsuke greeted me.
"Good morning," I returned the greeting.
"Hiroki-kun, did you notice that this time we've gained private points?" he asked me.
"Yeah. It wasn't many points, but if we compare it to June when we lost points. It was a change for the better," I shrugged.
"Yeah, I guess so. Our class has achieved an improvement rank. If we keep it up like we've been doing so far, we'll probably be able to surpass the other classes."
"I suppose, but we still don't know how much the other classes are ahead of us. Remember, there's a possibility that the other classes gained points this month," I reminded him.
The girls who were talking to Yōsuke before they talked to me were listening attentively to our conversation.
Although Class D had better points than in the canon, it wasn't a significant difference in points. Currently, we should have 145 class points. In the canon, 87 class points were obtained. So, 145-87 = 58 class points difference.
But, even though it's a small amount, it's still an important change. If we manage to get a good score on the island exam, like the cruise exam. Then it's possible that we can move up in rank. At least move up to Class C.
If we move up in rank. That means for the sports festival, we'll be paired with Class B and not with Class A. As it was in the canon.
The sound of the bell snapped me out of my thoughts. As always, when the bell rings, Chabashira-sensei enters the classroom at the same time. It's as if she always times it before entering the classroom.
"Good morning, everyone. Please take your seats, class is about to begin."
With those words from Chabashira-sensei, we all took our seats. Chabashira-sensei looked at all the students in Class D. Before her gaze settled on me.
"Oh. Nakatomi, you're here. Well, I guess that saves you the trouble of your classmates explaining it to you," Chabashira-sensei gave me a strange smile.
"So, I suppose the school notified you, huh."
I remembered the words the nurse told me about her going to notify them about my ankle injury. But that wasn't important, the strange thing was that the teacher decided to tell all my classmates when I could have kept it private. Why?
I didn't know. But it would be better to be careful with the blackmail lady. She might threaten me too to put her unfulfilled dream on my shoulders.
"What do you mean, sensei?" Miyamoto was the one who asked the question.
This matter doesn't concern you. That's what I wanted to express, but I decided it was better to stay silent while glaring at Chabashira-sensei.
I could tell that most of the students were confused and curious. Some of my friends gave me worried looks. I could also feel Horikita's penetrating gaze.
"It's nothing that affects the class," Chabashira-sensei shrugged. "If you're curious, then you can ask Nakatomi. Right now, as many of you already know, it's a new month."
Chabashira-sensei put a paper on the chalkboard listing the points.
Class Points (Month of July):
Class A: 1004 cl (+94)
Class B: 663 cl (+95)
Class C: 492 cl (+82)
Class D: 145 cl (+90)
I did some mental calculations to figure out which class scored the most points. After finishing my calculations, I sighed. I guess this time the winner was Class B, who got more points than the other classes.
It seemed like Class C got the least amount of points gained, but I couldn't be sure if they only gained. Maybe they lost points because of people still opposing Ryūen. But that was just a guess.
"This is not good. Have they found a way to increase their total score?" I heard Horikita say aloud.
It seemed like Horikita was more focused on the gains of the other classes than ours. It's not like I could blame her for questioning. Even though we have a good amount of points, the other classes still have a large point gap ahead of us.
Even if I added the points from the island exam results. It still wouldn't be enough for our class to move up in rank.
"145? That means we've gained more class points. Yahoo!" Ike jumped excitedly when he saw our class score.
"It's too early to celebrate. All the other classes saw a similar increase in their points. We haven't closed the gap at all. This could just be a reward that first-year students receive for passing the semester. Each class has gained at least 100 points," Chabashira-sensei commented on the realistic situation of our class.
"So that's what happened. I found it strange that we got points so quickly," Horikita, who hoped to reach Class A, didn't seem satisfied with the result. She wasn't smiling.
"Are you disappointed because the gap between the classes has widened, Horikita?" The voice I heard came from Ayanokōji.
"No, that's not it. We managed to get something this time," Horikita replied.
"Get something? Get what?" Ike, now standing, asked.
When Horikita gained all the class's attention, she fell silent. It seemed like she didn't want to give an answer, however, Hirata Yōsuke responded for her.
"I think Horikita-san is referring to the deductions we incurred during April and May. In other words, we didn't see a reduction in points for talking in class or being late," Yōsuke's comment was quite sharp and accurate. Fortunately, this month we had been saved from point deductions, which means we didn't lose any points this July compared to June.
"Ah, is that so? I guess even if we got 100 points, many deductions would have brought us down to zero," Ike, after this simple explanation, raised his arms in victory.
After that explanation about our class points, classes continued as usual until lunchtime.
"Nakatomi-kun," Azuma called me as we headed to the cafeteria for lunch. "What did sensei mean when she said she thought you weren't going to attend class?"
"Yeah. I wonder too, did something happen to Nakatomi-kun?" Satō asked me with concern.
"Don't worry, it's nothing," I told them as I shook my head. "Changing the subject, what do you guys think about the vacations we'll have at the end of July?" I changed the topic.
Fortunately, it worked quite well because the girls started talking about the vacations.
"I'm excited, I wonder what they'll surprise us with. I can't wait to relax," Mori Nene commented. It seemed like she was imagining the dream vacation.
"All we know is that it will be at the beach on a deserted island," Matsushita commented, nodding her head.
"It's impressive that the school has a completely private island. But I guess that's to be expected from a government-made school," Shione Togawa commented. She was a blue-haired girl who was usually quite reserved.
"Right? All the effort we've put in will finally be rewarded," Kei Karuizawa was also excited.
"What do you think about the vacations, Hiroki-kun?" Yōsuke asked me.
Well, despite knowing that these vacations will involve two different special exams. Still, we'll have time to enjoy our vacations. I mean. First, we have to get to the boat, then the boat has to reach the island and then we disembark.
So at least a few days of complete peace and tranquility we're going to get.
In my world, I've never been on a boat. Those things cost a ton of money in Latin America. So getting on one would be spending a fortune. If I at least wanted a boat compared to the school's boat. I haven't been on planes either because I've never traveled to another country other than the neighboring country, but I do that by land to save money.
The only vacation I remember spending to at least have luxuries was when I went to that water park. We stayed for a total of 3 days in the hotels offered by the park before we returned home.
I've also managed to go to different beaches. But nothing compared to the water park. However, the important thing is that you enjoy the vacation.
"I wonder what the school will offer us with our summer vacations. So I'm curious to find out about that," I said as I shrugged.
We soon arrived at the cafeteria. It didn't take us long to buy our meals before looking for a large table so we could all sit together as a group. The girls started talking about various topics. Mostly I just listened to the girls because I could barely keep up with the conversation they were having.
I looked at Yōsuke, who was nervously smiling as he tried to keep up with the girls' conversations. Making comments and answering whenever he could.
"Nakatomi. What happened to your ankle?" The girl sitting next to me asked quietly as she discreetly pointed to the bandages on my leg.
The girl who asked me was Shione Togawa. Oh, I guess I was careless. That or she's observant of her surroundings. Now that I think about it, she was one of the girls who got good grades in all subjects. From 87-95 points, which was quite good.
(Image)
"Hmm. It's nothing, don't worry" dismisses her concern.
"Ah. It's okay. Sorry for intruding. I was just curious that's all" Shione replied apologetically.
"It's not okay. It's normal to be curious. But as I said it's nothing serious" I was a little sincere.
It wasn't as serious as a grade 3 sprain. But I still had to be careful with my leg because if I don't take care of it the grade 2 sprain can get worse. After all, the ligaments are healing right now.
If I was in my old body then I would have to unload my leg so I wouldn't keep hurting myself. Fortunately, this new body has quite a bit of pain tolerance, I just have to wait to find out if it also heals faster than the average person's body.
"Hmm" Shione didn't say anything else instead she nodded her head leaving the topic of conversation aside as she started to continue eating her food.
We finally finished our lunch and headed to our respective classes so we could continue with finishing our remaining classes for the day.
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Sunday, July 5th. 12:34 PM.
It's been a few days since the beginning of the month, and I've been keeping an eye on the movements of Class C, in case they tried anything suspicious, but for now, they haven't done anything that would raise my suspicions about them.
Classes have passed with an unsettling normalcy, but I suppose I'm just being paranoid. I guess Class C doesn't want to risk it again after the failure of their plan. The only thing I can think of as to why they haven't attempted another attack is that they're gathering information.
Currently, I was tying my hair back with a hairband. Since it was a break week, Yōsuke invited me to the movies to watch the new film that premiered this July 2015. The Minions.
A pretty good movie overall. Even though I've already seen it in my own world because we're several years ahead of them. It doesn't mean I can't watch it again; in fact, whenever it aired on TV, I'd watch it until it finished.
We all know who the Minions are, so no explanation is necessary.
Once I was ready, I left the dorms to head to the Keyaki Mall. First, we were going to have lunch at a restaurant and then watch the movie.
When I arrived at the Keyaki Mall, I headed to the meeting point we had agreed upon.
"Hiroki-kun."
When I reached our meeting spot, Yōsuke was already there, waiting with Karuizawa holding onto his arm.
Karuizawa looked quite attractive in her casual attire. Yōsuke didn't look too bad himself; he would certainly catch the attention of many girls. I even think I could feel some stares.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting," I said to them.
"No worries, we just got here," Yōsuke replied.
Karuizawa nodded. "We haven't been here long."
I raised an eyebrow at the two but didn't say anything. I was curious if they arrived together at the Keyaki Mall or came separately. I mentally shrugged, deciding it wasn't important.
"Matsushita-san, Azuma-san, Nishimura-san," Karuizawa greeted her friends once she spotted them.
I turned to see the new arrivals at the meeting spot. I wanted to whistle in admiration at the two beauties who had just arrived. But I refrained, instead nodding in acknowledgment.
Matsushita's standout beauty was a different type from Azuma and Karuizawa's. The aura around Matsushita screamed "Model" or "Mature Woman," which would definitely catch the attention of most men. I didn't know how popular Matsushita was, but she should at least be on the list of the most beautiful women in our year.
Still, Karuizawa and Azuma's beauty definitely didn't fall far behind Matsushita. But I suppose that depends on each man's taste.
"Good afternoon, Hirata-kun, Nakatomi-kun, Karuizawa-san," Matsushita greeted us.
"So, you arrived early, huh? Did you wait long?" Azuma asked us.
"No. In fact, we just got here," I replied, making Karuizawa and Yōsuke nod in agreement with my words. I don't know about the "couple," but I certainly just arrived at this place.
Nishimura sighed in relief. "That's good. I thought we were a bit late." She then looked directly at me. Her face had a slight blush. "By the way, Nakatomi-kun, have you been wearing that hairstyle lately?" Nishimura asked.
"Huh?" I asked, confusion in my voice as I ran a hand through my hair. "Does it look bad?" I asked her.
"No, quite the opposite. I think it makes you look more mature and attractive, you know?" Nishimura commented.
"True! Nakatomi-kun has been gaining popularity lately too," Azuma joined the conversation, chiming in cheerfully.
"Is that so? I guess I haven't noticed," I commented.
"Huh. Are you sure you haven't been interested in a girl?" Karuizawa asked me curiously.
"There are many attractive girls in school. I admit that some of them have caught my attention, but I guess I don't have anyone in particular that I'm interested in," I shrugged.
"Is that so? Then you wouldn't mind going on a date with me," Azuma said, a mischievous smile on her face as she raised her eyebrows.
"W-What?!" It totally caught me off guard, making me stutter and heat rise to my cheeks.
Azuma started laughing, causing the girls to join in. Even Yōsuke couldn't help but laugh lightly. I'm not some object of ridicule, you know. I thought the invitation was totally real, and please give me back my hopes of going out with a beautiful and totally sexy woman.
"I'm planning for us to eat at the sushi restaurant. Are you all okay with that?"
Once Yōsuke composed himself, he asked us, making the girls also stop laughing and then affirm that they didn't mind where we ate.
After a while, the six of us set off to have lunch at the sushi restaurant Yōsuke mentioned.
"This is too delicious!" exclaimed Azuma as she took another bite of her food.
I had to agree with her. I've never eaten sushi in my life; it's my first time having this kind of dish. At first, I thought I wouldn't like it because I knew sushi was raw fish, but it's quite the opposite; it's delicious, in my opinion.
I don't usually eat at the restaurants on the school campus because I prefer to make my own food or eat at the school cafeteria when I'm too lazy to cook. Plus, another reason I don't eat out often is to save private points.
There are times when I allow myself to splurge and be a little selfish with what I consume. But with the food I can prepare, I'm satisfied. That and Coca-Cola as a drink.
After eating, the six of us went to the cinema to watch the movie. Yōsuke and Karuizawa were buying tickets for everyone. Azuma and Nishimura were talking while buying popcorn and drinks, having their usual "girls" chat, I guess.
While waiting, I was sitting on the waiting area furniture of the cinema along with Matsushita.
"You know, I didn't know you liked these kinds of movies?" I said, breaking our comfortable silence.
"Oh~ Why would you think that, Nakatomi-kun? Despite it being a children's movie, it can attract the attention of quite a few people. Both young and old, you know?" Matsushita gave me a smile. "Besides, you're here to watch the movie too, so I could ask you the same thing."
"Fair point," I shrugged. "I guess I really liked the Despicable Me movies. So the Minions are a character of interest to me and they make me laugh," I replied.
"Yeah. I remember when I went with my parents to see it. I was excited to spend time with my parents. Plus, the trailer caught my attention a lot," Matsushita replied.
"I guess you had a good time then," I asked her, making Matsushita nod.
We then started talking about some scenes in the movie that we found interesting and funny and which part of the movie we thought was the best. We didn't talk much because Yōsuke approached with Karuizawa when they finished buying the tickets.
Shortly after Nishimura and Azuma finished buying popcorn and drinks, I helped by carrying a tray, and then we entered the cinema hall. We found our seats as per our seating arrangement, and once seated, we waited for the commercials to end so the movie could start.
I noticed that the commercials were quite interesting. The trailers for the upcoming movies were interesting; I've seen all the movies already. But I still wanted to watch them again, just to make sure they hadn't changed anything.
Now that I think about it, almost all the stories in the world, the tales, novels, fables, and other fictional stories were the same as in my world. Even the games. I mean, Minecraft exists. But some animated series or anime I know didn't exist in this world. It's something I couldn't fully understand.
By the way, the movie trailers that caught my interest were Inside Out, Terminator Genesis, Pixels, and Ant-Man.
The movie unfolded just like in my world. The Minions try to find a villain to serve, they kill the T-Rex, Dracula, caveman, etc., causing them to become depressed and isolate themselves in an ice cave. Then the three Minions Kevin, Stuart, and Bob embark on an adventure to find another villain to serve. They reach New York, encounter a family aspiring to be villains, and then arrive at a villain convention where they meet Scarlet, who gives them the mission to steal the queen's crown.
In the end, young Gru appears, freezing Scarlet and Herb to steal the crown. Then he flees on a rocket-powered motorcycle. The Minions watch him in awe and then decide to chase after him, deciding he's the boss they've been looking for. The end.
I have to admit that watching the movie in Japanese is a totally different experience than watching it in English or Spanish.
When the movie ended, we started talking about what we liked or disliked about it. I'll admit that despite having seen the movie several times, some scenes still make me laugh. Especially the parts where the Minions speak or sing.
As the evening began, I bid farewell, saying I had some pending matters to take care of. When they asked me, I told them I needed to buy some personal items, to which they didn't bother to continue prying and let me go.
I took advantage of being at the Keyaki Mall to buy ingredients to prepare more food for the rest of the month. I also bought Coca-Cola because I was running out of the ones I had in my room.
Once I had the purchases ready, I started walking towards the dormitories. As I was walking towards the first-year dormitories, I decided to take out my cell phone to send a message to someone I needed to talk to right now.
Contact: Horikita Suzune.
[Good afternoon, Horikita-san. This is Nakatomi. It's about the favor you owe me. I'm going to use it right now, and I need you to come to my room 388. The favor is a class matter, so don't be late.]
I pressed the send button and tucked my phone back into my casual pants pocket. Now all I had to do was wait for Horikita to arrive at my room to cash in the favor and use it as a shield against Ryūen.
All that's left is to get them together so we can establish the conditions for me to erase all the evidence I have against Class C. This will prevent three of their students from being expelled for severe assault against a Class D student.
As I walked towards my room, I thought about the tremendous heat these days. Not that I mind because I'm used to it. In my country, it's hot and hardly rains.
I mean, when it rains in my country, literally everyone rejoices because of the great fortune we've had. But other countries complain about the rains they have. Well, if you don't want it to rain, then give us the clouds. Because honestly, we needed a cloud on those super hot days.
Fortunately for Class D students, tomorrow is another day for swimming class. They always give us the class once a month. Or at least they've given us swimming classes up to this point. The teacher lets us play in the pool as we please while he teaches students who don't know how to swim. Of course, I haven't swum in any class, and I don't think I can swim in this one either while I have an injury to my ankle. I might get a cramp and drown. That would be embarrassing.
Not that I'm worried. Because anyway, there will be pools on the luxurious cruise ship, and something tells me they'll force me to swim, even if it's just once in the pool, or they won't leave me alone.
I shook my head to focus on what I was going to do next.
I took a deep breath before reorganizing my thoughts.
First, Talk to Horikita, and use the favor she owes you. With the goal of being my cover against Ryūen.
Second, Find Ryūen, to let him know he has to meet on the third floor of the special building. I think Ryūen will comply with the request I make, and if he doesn't, well... Threaten him and tell him the consequences that could happen to his class if he doesn't show up.
Third, Once Horikita is the cover, force Ryūen to owe us a favor in which he will have to help Class D no matter what kind of favor it is. Ryūen is a smart guy, so he'll surely ask for a memo.
Fourth, Keep an eye on Sakura. I changed the timeline, so I wasn't sure if Ayanokōji would save her. I could only hope so, otherwise, I'd have to intervene myself.
Fifth, if Ayanokōji doesn't save Sakura because of my timeline change when I save her, make sure to beat the damn filthy rapist. Those kinds of people disgust me the most in life. Even more than murderers.
Once my plan was established, I began to make preparations.
A few moments later, I arrived at my room. I opened the door with my access key, took off my shoes, and then closed the door so no one could enter or spy on me. I stored the purchases I made and finally turned on the air conditioner.
Now all that was left was to wait for Horikita.
And hey, if anyone asks how we got a favor from Class C, we'll just say it was all thanks to Horikita's plan.
Hahaha. I am a being full of evil. (I am obviously exaggerating)
It's tradition to use Horikita as a cover.
I chuckled before flopping onto the bed, pulling out my phone again, opening the YouTube app, and deciding to start watching meme videos while I waited for my guest.
.
.
.
(Time skip)
While I was minding my own business to pass the time while waiting for Horikita, the doorbell of my room rang.
I quickly got up to open the door, and there stood Horikita in her school uniform. She took off her shoes before quickly entering my room.
Once Horikita was inside, I closed the door to my room.
"Please make it brief, I have other important things to attend to," Horikita spoke before I could get a word out. Knowing her attitude, I simply shrugged, dismissing her rude behavior as usual.
"Alright. Before I tell you what I'm about to say, I want to make sure you're still planning to lead our class to Class A, right?" I asked.
"Yes. I plan to take our class to the top, and that's not going to change. I'm confident I can get our class to Class A. So, tell me, what's the reason for asking me this?" Horikita questioned.
No hesitation, huh? Not that I'm surprised; Horikita is determined to reach Class A so her brother will recognize her. The sibling complex Horikita has can be cute in its own way, eh!
"Anyway, does that make you the leader of the class? I mean, despite Kushida and Yōsuke doing their best to keep the class together, I don't think they're capable of leading our class when we're competing against enemy classes," I responded honestly.
"I understand your point. But are you trying to say that I would be the most capable of becoming the leader? I think it should be pretty clear that I am the most capable in our class to lead. The issue is making them listen to me, but I'll take care of that when the time comes," Horikita replied.
"Well, I hope so then. Because I'm going to use the favor I have to make other classes think of you as our class leader," I said sincerely.
I didn't need to explain the details to Horikita about why I was doing this. She just needs to know what she needs to do to ensure that the façade she's creating isn't easily uncovered.
"What are you trying to do? Why the sudden interest in making me the class leader? I thought you didn't agree to help me when you turned down the offer I made about cooperating with me," Horikita narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"Maybe your determination when you taught Sudō, Ike, and Yamauchi moved my heart, causing my opinion of you to change," I said as I lazily shrugged.
"I didn't help them because I cared about them; I did it for my own benefit. Also, I don't believe your claim. You're not the type to change your mind just because someone showed a little kindness to people," she replied.
Where did she get that idea? Was it because of that time I rejected Kushida when she tried to convince me in front of them to cooperate with Horikita? Or has she been watching me since then? I didn't know, but it doesn't matter right now, I guess.
Besides, Horikita is mistaken about something. Even I can change my mind about something. Especially if it's a child using that puppy-dog eye technique. It's a technique that should be banned, I tell you!
"You can believe whatever you want," I sighed. "Anyway, the reason I called you is that I need you to accompany me to the special building and assert that you're the leader of our class, as well as prevent the Class C attack."
Horikita looked at me with confusion on her face, trying to understand what I was doing.
"Accompany you to the special building? Class C attack? What are you talking about? I want you to explain," Horikita demanded, bombarding me with questions.
"You see, I predicted that Class C would attack our class to make us lose points. But unfortunately for Class C, I used their plan against them, and now they're the ones affected. So, I'm using the favor for you to pretend to be the mastermind in planning the counterattack on Class C," I gave her a summarized explanation of the events.
"Are you saying that Class C tried to attack us to affect our class points? Wait... First of all, how did you know that Class C was going to elaborate an attack against our class?" Horikita was expecting a much more detailed explanation of the situation. But I have no reason to explain everything that happened behind her back; she just needs to do the favor I'm asking for and nothing else.
"You don't need to know the details. All you need to know is the situation and what you're going to say when the time comes. If you manage that, then we can make our class have a wildcard against the remaining classes."
In this case, if we manage to make Class C owe us a favor, in the future, we'll have a trump card that we can use against Class A and B regarding the upcoming exams.
Ryūen will want a contract so that our evidence can't be used against him more than once. So, we'll have to make those involved sign the contract.
When I finished my explanation, Horikita looked at me with barely contained shock and amazement.
"You... Did you manage all this to the point of getting hurt?" Horikita looked at my leg, specifically my ankle. "Who are you?"
"What are you talking about? I'm Nakatomi Hiroki, it's not like I took possession of someone's body or stole their identity," I replied, rolling my eyes. "Besides, I wasn't planning on getting hurt, but I guess not everything can go perfectly," I said, trying to change the subject.
"Stop joking around and don't change the subject," Horikita glared at me, but she continued, "Even if you weren't trying to hurt yourself, you were still prepared to get injured in your body," she pointed out.
I waved my hand lazily, dismissing her statement as pointless. "Nothing this body can't handle. I'm not an idiot; I know which lines not to cross to avoid seriously hurting myself."
"And yet that didn't stop you from getting injured," she replied.
I shrugged. "Eh, details, details," I said nonchalantly, with a mocking tone.
Horikita frowned but didn't say anything more.
"Alright. If that's all, then excuse me," Horikita headed to the door of my room before putting on her shoes. "I'll be waiting for your message. I just have one question: How good are you in your skills?" She looked me directly in the eyes.
"I guess I'm pretty good both academically and physically. But I don't think I'm the best in our class," I replied sincerely.
I wasn't lying; there's someone much smarter than a prodigy in our class. Someone who was trained to be the best product of the white room, Ayanokōji Kiyotaka.
"You say that, but your level of observation and comprehension is much better than our classmates'. Your academic grades are quite high. Even from the small part of the video you showed me, I can tell you're quite agile, better than anyone I know in our class."
The ever-sharp Horikita was quite surprising. The cold logic to draw conclusions is much greater than most students, and it's not something to be underestimated for any reason. But still, her pride and arrogance are quite an easy flaw to take advantage of.
A clear example is Nagumo. He's a very intelligent student, and even his physical abilities are quite high. His leadership and manipulation skills are not far behind. Many people can't take his character seriously due to the amount of hate he receives from fans. Not to mention the fanfiction that writes him in a way that makes him seem less intelligent.
But it's quite the opposite; Nagumo is an intelligent opponent and one that should be careful of, but his weakness, just like Horikita Suzune, is his own arrogance and superiority over other people, making him confident and predictable. Making him underestimate his opponents, which can result in a fatal mistake.
That's why it's better to overestimate your opponents even if they seem weak, but never too much because that can result in a cliche like Overlord when Demiurge overestimates Ainz too much. Underestimating them and being defeated by being overconfident.
"I think you're overestimating me, Horikita. I'm not as good as you're making me out to be," I replied after considering my options.
Horikita just gave an exasperated sigh before leaving my room, but before she could leave, she said one last thing, "I hope we can work together, Nakatomi-kun."
With that, she started to leave the empty hallway towards the elevators.
Oh, now that I remember, I forgot to ask if she knew anything about Kushida. But I guess it's better to ask her later; I wouldn't want her to want to extract an equivalent exchange from my questions.
With that, I decided it was best to leave my room. It's not that I can't find anything to entertain myself; it's just that I prefer to walk right now than to be cooped up. Plus, if I kept watching too many videos, they'd run out sooner or later. It would be better to save some to watch later.
With a goal in mind, I decided to leave my room and then the dormitories and head to anywhere that could refresh my mind. Now that I think about it, I guess I've changed a bit since I came to this place. But it can't be helped when your brain sharpens.
Not that I care honestly. I just have to be careful not to let arrogance get to my head. Then I'll be fine, I guess.
As I headed to a secluded spot where I could watch the beautiful sunset and, as night falls, observe the sky illuminated by the beautiful view of the moon and stars.
When I was about to reach the designated spot, I could see a figure.
Huh? A person? I tried to hide, but when I recognized who the person in question was, I immediately dismissed the idea.
Sakura Airi. The shy girl from Class D. By the way she was without her fake glasses and with a different hairstyle than usual, along with the way she was dressed, she must be acting as her character Shizuku.
When I was in the special building against the students of Class C, I could feel someone watching the commotion, but I didn't know where they were. It was more of a kind of instinct from my body, warning me that we weren't the only ones on the third floor of the special building.
I thought about walking away. But the curiosity about what might have happened to her after the commotion with the students of Class C ended was gnawing at me. I suppose I can talk to her to see if she recognizes me or not.
I also want to know if she was there from the beginning to the end during the commotion or if she left while the commotion was happening.
Since Sakura was taking pictures of herself along with her surroundings, I decided it was best to wait until she finished her usual round of photographs. After that, I decided to show myself.
As she saw my figure approaching her, Sakura panicked and immediately started running.
Anticipating this event, I ran in her direction and grabbed her wrist, grimacing at the sharp pain that shot through my ankle. I also made sure to restrain my strength so as not to accidentally hurt Sakura.
"Kyah-?!" Sakura screamed in fear at the sudden intrusion into her personal space.
"Are you Sakura? Sakura Airi, right?" I asked. "I'm Nakatomi Hiroki. We're from the same class, remember?" I made an effort to make my tone sound as bored and flat as possible.
If I sounded energetic like Ike or Yamauchi, Sakura would probably scream and call for help. Sakura's resistance faded a bit when she recognized my voice and then turned around to make sure it was the right person, the one Sakura had in mind.
"I'm sorry, Sakura. I didn't mean to grab you like that. I panicked when I saw you running out of nowhere," I explained, gently releasing my grip on her wrist.
"U-uh... Um..." Sakura stammered.
I looked around for something to say to ease her nervousness. "Uh, do you mind people seeing you like this?" I asked.
"N-no! It's not that... I really don't intend to keep this a secret from anyone... I-it's just that... Uhm-"
"Okay. First of all, calm down. We're the only ones here anyway. I don't think anyone else is coming to this place. It's usually quiet and empty, which is why I like to come here in the first place. So, why don't we sit on a bench and watch the sky while you calm down?" I suggested.
Sakura seemed surprised by my words, but she nodded docilely anyway.
The two of us sat on benches, looking up at the sky, a silence hung between us. Though it wasn't comfortable, it wasn't uncomfortable either.
"So... Have you calmed down?" I asked.
"Y-yes... A little," Sakura said timidly.
"Good. As I said, I like to come to this place to think and relax. The sound of the sea plus the feeling of the wind is something I like. It's also a quiet place so not many people come here. Most students prefer to be studying or having fun," I commented with a smile. "That's it, I guess. And you, Sakura?"
"Well, I... I like taking photos... I guess you've probably seen that already, but... I especially like taking photos of people," Sakura replied.
"I see. I think that's a good hobby, you know? Although I think if you could make a lot of friends, then you could take many more photos of people," I commented my thoughts.
Well, there I go again, giving advice to people so I can help them at least a little. Not that it bothers me. I just hope it doesn't become a habit like Ayanokōji's.
"I don't think... I don't think I can make friends because... I'm not good at talking to people..." Sakura replied, her voice growing softer.
"Ah, I see, I think I understand a little," I said.
"Eh? Don't you have many friends, Nakatomi-kun? Like Hirata-kun... or Matsushita-san and Kushida-san..." She asked.
"Well, I guess you could say that. But I don't really have many friends besides them. It's true that I always hang out with Yōsuke's group, but usually it's the girls talking while I just listen to the conversations. Sometimes I feel like a ghost, you know? Still, Yōsuke does his best to make me feel comfortable in the group, so I can consider myself a little lucky in that case," I narrated.
Sakura was listening to me attentively, but I could tell that her gaze was discreetly focused on my injured leg, looking guilty. I suppose that confirms that she was there when the commotion started.
"I'm a little socially awkward too, you know? Especially with people I don't know, but especially with girls," I finished narrating, glancing briefly at her.
"Right... I see, I didn't think Nakatomi-kun would have trouble making friends. So... I guess we're alike in... something," Sakura commented softly but audibly.
"I guess so, coincidences can be strange, huh?" I said, looking at the sky as I put my hands on my head and at the same time crossed my injured leg over the good one. Getting a good view of the bandage on my leg.
The silence fell again. There was no need to make her uncomfortable by asking if she was in the special building when the commotion happened. She'll probably tell me when she feels comfortable or when the guilt reaches a maximum point for not intervening at that moment causing me to get hurt.
Though I'm a little confused. Didn't she feel my killing intent when I let her go? Or did it not reach where she managed to hide? Someone like Sakura's personality would probably be a little afraid of me after experiencing that. But right now, she seemed calm. So maybe I was wrong with my assumption.
I kept talking to her so that the silence wouldn't become awkward between us. I kept telling her about what I like, food, favorite color, hobbies so that she could get used to my presence. If I told her about myself, but she barely spoke, then she would probably think it wouldn't be fair if only I told her things. Thus making her talk to me at least out of obligation.
Also, the guilt she feels about my injury. It would make her give in faster. A little manipulative on my part. But it would be essential for Sakura to grow as a person.
This conversation was a backup on my part in case Ayanokōji didn't talk to her.
After that, I said goodbye to her. Returning to my room.
.
.
.
Author's Note:
The MC has fun as he begins to make his moves, Horikita and the MC talk, and Horikita manages to see another side of the MC. Also, the MC doesn't want to risk Sakura getting hurt by a pervert who could well be a rapist, so he makes contact with her. In the next chapter, he will have a confrontation with Chabashira, so he will begin to form bonds of student and teacher.
As you can see, the appearance of the unnamed student Shione Togawa has just appeared in this chapter. She is a simple person, she only likes to talk to people she feels comfortable with. Shione also loves music and is very good at singing.
Shione is an intelligent student, but she is not yet smart enough to get perfect grades like other characters. Although she can be quite perceptive when she wants to be.
Since Sudou's case never happened, that means the point delay never happened. Well done Naka-chan.
Class Points for July
Class A: 910. (+96) (-2) → 1004. ↑94
Class B: 568. (+95) (-0) → 663. ↑95
Class C: 410. (+92) (-10) → 492. ↑82
Class D: 55. (+90) (-0) → 145. ↑90