chp4 part 5 2-2

Horikita had already joined the student council, but even after that, she couldn’t provide me with any new information.

Nagumo’s own opinions aside, the student council operated smoothly.

On the weekend a situation arose, it was a week before the deadline for the formation of the small groups.

It all started when I was called out by the Vice President, Kiriyama.

Kiriyama had been trying to stop Nagumo's rampage by supporting Horikita Manabu, the student council president who graduated last year, but the situation hadn't improved, and time was running out.

Maybe he had already given up.

That was what I thought, but now he suddenly wanted to meet me.

Although, why did he call me out in broad daylight on a weekday after school?

If he wanted to keep this a secret from Nagumo, it wouldn’t have been surprising if he chose to meet late at night or early in the morning.

Being prudent would have been the right thing to do here.

However, I agreed to his proposal without any contention

After school, I went to Keyaki mall to meet up with Kiriyama.

"You're here."

"What does the Vice President want with me?"

"Don't be in such a hurry to get this done with, it's going to take some time today."

Saying that, Kiriyama led me away.

"The large scale uninhabited island exam is coming up soon, are you prepared?"

I thought he wanted to talk to me about the student council, so I was surprised when he started talking about the special exam.

"I've done everything I can. How about you?"

"I've formed a group of 3 without anyone from Class A."

In other words, he gave up on trying to fight Class A with his class alone, thus reducing the points his class would receive if they won.

For the 3rd year, the difference in Class Points with Class A was much greater than in the 2nd year. If there was any possibility left of reversing this situation, it was to get the higher ranks in the exam through your class alone.

"I know what you must be thinking, if our Class 3-B wanted to reach Class A, then it's a must to win first place with a team with only our class. Not only that, we would have to continue to win the following special exams by a landslide. However, that's not realistic."

If miracles like these happened ever so often, they wouldn’t have been in their position in the first place

"I wanted to personally battle Nagumo in this special exam."

"Personally battle, huh."

"It's been a long time since we lost the battle with Nagumo and fell into Class B. After which, Nagumo became the student council president, and took control over the entire 3rd year, and eventually the entire school. You could say that the battle as classes have already been decided."

"I've been thinking the same thing."

The reason why most of the 3rd years followed Nagumo was because they gave up on their plans of reaching Class A.

"But personally, I don't think I'm weaker than Nagumo."

The Class 3-B student, Kiriyama, had received high evaluations on the OAA. With all his stats above B+,  it was understandable that he was confident in his ability. However, Nagumo's overall strength was even higher than his, so you could say that Nagumo’s boisterous attitude was in line with his strength.

Nevertheless, the OAA doesn't reflect everything. Not only is it hard to quantify into values such as adaptability and intelligence of students who haven't exerted their abilities to their fullest, but there are also students with certain talents that just won't be reflected by the OAA.

If Kiriyama thought he could take Nagumo on a one on one fight, he probably had some sort of plan to win already.

"You can form a big group of up to 6 people regardless of class. If I can select all the necessary talent to win— I don't think we'll lose to Nagumo."

Although they were in a different year, it was a double sided special exam wherein he could not only fight students among his year but also from the other years as well.

This exam was one of the few opportunities left for Kiriyama.

“I understand where you’re going with this, however, this isn’t something worth deliberately telling me right?”

I didn’t think there was any benefit in him telling me that.

"I don't want you to get in my way."


"I'm not interested in your duel with the President anyway."

"I know that, but what I'm trying to say is, I don't want to be distracted by the outside."

"Outside?"

"I'm referring to Horikita Suzune, who just joined the student council."

“I see. It looks like she's being treated as a nuisance, However I want to at least tell you that I sent Horikita Suzune to the student council on the wish of her brother, the former student council president.”

Maybe this kind of thing didn't matter to Kiriyama anymore.

To be sure, I asked him outright.

"There's already no point to it. He's only got a few months left as Student Council president. If we could do something starting from now, it wouldn't be to take his presidency, but rather to settle a personal dispute with him."

"If that's what you want, it's fine with me."

It's not surprising that he wanted them to have a fair fight.

The question was, what did it have to do with me?

"You wanted Horikita Manabu's sister to join the student council to monitor Nagumo, right?"

"I'd be lying if I said it wasn't, but it was mostly for another reason. Just like Horikita said in front of Chairman Nagumo, it was to follow in her brother’s footsteps."

"That means you won't get in Nagumo's way, right?"

"Unless Horikita thinks Nagumo's an obstacle."

"That won't work. Forget all thoughts about dealing with Nagumo. It'll only lead to unnecessary fights."

He withdrew what he had once said, and it was as if everything had come full circle.

It meant nothing to me in the beginning, but now I had a desire to personally witness Nagumo in action. If Horikita judged Nagumo's actions to be wrong, I was afraid she might face him directly. There was nothing I could do about that, so being told not to do exactly that wasn't surprising.

"I'll remember what you said, Vice President."

I took his advice and gave him a proper reply.

Kiriyama showed a look of displeasure, probably because of my half hearted reply.

"To put it politely, don't do anything."

"I mean, I understand that."

"Then, you swear you won't do anything. Can I interpret it like that?"

"How you interpret it is your choice, but I didn’t say anything.”

As the conversation continued, Kiriyama grew impatient.

"Nagumo was more or less aware of what I'd been doing with Horikita-senpai. But since I'd been following his orders, he remained calm and simply observed what happened. Horikita-senpai's sister joining the student council was annoying enough, so if you don't stop meddling in this—"

"Are you in trouble, Vice President?"

"...Yeah."

So that's why he called me out, to specifically tell me this. To make it seem as if he was worried about us.

However, the truth of the matter was, he was protecting himself.

Of course, this wasn't a bad thing.

I didn't want to interfere in the relationship between Nagumo and Kiriyama, in which the winner and the loser had already been decided.

"Nagumo's idea, the one in which anyone can graduate from Class A. Don't you want that?"

"Well..."

It was the policy of the former student council president Horikita Manabu to continue on with the school’s premise of winning by class.

No, I should say that this was the school's policy, until last year.

However, the current 3rd years had no chance to win against the Class 3-A led by Nagumo.

In fact, Kiriyama seems to have resigned himself to the fact that he would graduate from Class B.

However, if he followed Nagumo's ‘individual strength’ policy, his position would certainly change.

If Kiriyama was strong enough by himself, he may be able to move up to Class A.

Although he said he wanted to compete with Nagumo in the uninhabited island exam, in the end, he's just trying to gain private points in order to join the top class.

He was just saying it in a polite way so that Horikita and I wouldn't get in his way.

In reality, he wouldn't act like he would send a challenge to Nagumo.

"Is it really that strange... Wanting to graduate from Class A."

It really was nothing strange, but Kiriyama continued.

In order to protect his pride.

"What's the point in graduating from a class other than Class A, if you're in this school? I won't go down the same road as those who have talent but have given up fighting. I will never sink with Class B, which is full of strange and incompetent people."

If Manabu-senpai had heard those words, he would be disheartened.

Or rather, did he know about this weakness of Kiriyama from the start?

"Anyway, you should have understood what I want to say by now."

"I understand. When Horikita joined the student council, she was supposed to be introduced to the other members later on, but you came early, Vice President, and that was to make sure she wouldn't get in your way."

"Say whatever you want-"

"Kiriyama."

While we were talking, a voice came from nearby.

Although Kiriyama's name was called, he didn't react immediately.

"Kiriyama. Can you not hear me?"

Once again, but this time the voice grew louder.

"Speak of the devil..."

After saying that to himself, he reluctantly turned towards the direction of the voice.

The girl who was sitting on the bench was a 3rd year student.

She crossed her legs and put her open hands on the back of the bench, in a relaxed manner.

Comparing this with the face, name, and various abilities shown in the OAA.

Class 3-B, Kiryuuin-- right?

"What do you want from me?"

Faced with his own classmate, Kiriyama's disgruntled expression didn't change.

It seemed like the two of them didn't get along well.

"Fufu. You're with an interesting underclassman, so I said hello."

Kiryuuin said that, and then turned her attention to me.

"Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, right? I heard you became famous after a perfect score on a difficult math test."

"It's none of your business, Kiryuuin."

Before I could speak, Kiriyama raised his voice a little and said that.

In order to keep some distance from Kiryuuin, Kiriyama took a large step forward to leave.

"What are you doing, Ayanokouji? We're leaving."

Kiriyama said to me, who didn't move.

"You won't get anything from being with a man like that, you know?"

I was caught between two 3rd years.

Whose opinion was the right one to listen to?

To be honest, I didn't want to listen to either of them.

"Ayanokouji's the one who should decide that, right?  Kiriyama, can't you leave any quicker?"

Kiryuuin made fun of him while maintaining her sitting posture.

"Why don't we talk about something meaningful?"

"...!!"

Seems like instead of being taken lightly, what Kiriyama didn't like was her interference at the last moment.

"You can ignore that woman."

He intensified his tone, and warned me.

"She's a third year just like you, Vice President. So I can't just ignore her."

"...This girl is Kiryuuin, a student of Class B and my classmate."

"I saw that from the OAA. She's a highly rated student, isn't she?"

"She's just a good student, but Kiryuuin doesn't have anyone supporting her, unlike Nagumo. She doesn't even have a single friend."

So that was why Kiriyama said that ignoring her wouldn't cause any trouble.

"Don't praise me like that, you're making me blush!"

It wasn't meant to be a compliment at all, but Kiryuuin laughed boldly.

"She's a lot like Kouenji from your year. All her words and actions, if you take her seriously, you'll just be wasting your time."

He used an interesting person to compare her to.

In a way, Kouenji Rokusuke was someone who had a unique personality, and if you were similar to him, you would be pretty strange too.

While I was interested, I also thought that this had nothing to do with me.

However, Kiryuuin's Academic and Physical Abilities were both rated A+.

She was the only student who had two A+ evaluations in the school, male or female.

Her Social Contribution was a C+, which wasn't that low, her only defect was Adaptability, in which she got a D.

If we simply looked at grades, you could say that she's the best in the school.

"What's wrong? Aren't you coming?"

"Are you calling for me?"

"If you don't come, I'll go. But is that okay with Kiriyama?"

"... It's because of this person, that I'm in Class B."

Kiriyama said in a low voice.

"Couldn't you oppose Nagumo if you had outstanding classmates?'

"I told you that she's the same as Kouenji, didn't I? She's already hopeless as a person. In these 3 years, she didn't contribute at all to the class, except for her own grades. She always acts alone. Even though she lives among us, she's an alien in the class."

It was true that even that she had maintained her excellence in the OAA, I had never heard her name from other people's mouths. If she had been someone Nagumo or Manabu-senpai would pay attention to, it wouldn't have been strange to hear about her.

"Thanks for the compliments, Kiriyama."

"Huh!?"

Kiryuuin, who got up from the bench, whispered in Kiriyama's ear

She was surprisingly tall. Over 170 centimetres? You could tell just by looking at her that she was well built. There was actually a student like this in the 3rd year? I recalled the conversation I just had with Kiriyama.

There was no way he was going to sink with Class B which was filled with these kinds of ‘strange’ and ‘incompetent’ people.

This Kiryuuin was probably the strange person he referred to.

"Quickly say what you have to."

"Of course, I'll do that. Once you’re gone that is, Kiriyama."

"...Do whatever you want. I'm leaving."

It seemed like he didn't want to be with Kiryuuin, so Kiriyama started to take his leave.

"Don't forget what I just said, Ayanokouji. Depending on the situation, I'll become your enemy as well."

I received a warning from the Vice President.

By now, I would have gone back, but this time's opponent was Class 3-B's Kiryuuin.

"What are we doing, standing up? Why don't we sit down?"

"Ah..."

Kiryuuin invited me to sit on the bench.

I hope I'll be released soon.

"So, what did you want to tell me?"

"Anything is fine. It's enough as long as I can figure out what sort of person you are.

"Figure out? Vice President Kiriyama said that you don't contribute to the class, Kiryuuin-senpai. That means you're not interested in what happens to your classmates right?"

"Being interested and cooperating are 2 completely different things, aren't they? There are some interesting people in my class, and sometimes I talk to them just like I am talking to you now."

I see. That's true.

"I'm not interested in the system of aiming for Class A of this school. Although the biggest selling point of the school is that you can go to whatever university you want and find employment wherever you want, I believe I can achieve whatever I want with my own abilities. I simply chose to come to this school on a whim."

From her manner of speaking, she did indeed seem very similar to Koenji.

Having an extremely high opinion of herself.

Besides, that can be justified by the fact that she had an A+ in both Academic and Physical Ability.

"Would you have chosen this place if you knew before you came here that the structure of this school is centered around cooperation?"

"That's not the case. I like this school. I like it because I've never been dissatisfied with my school life so far. The point system is also very pleasant."

Koenji also seemed to like this school, and enjoyed all of its benefits to the maxt.

There's no need to cling onto the goal of Class A if you could achieve anything you want by your own abilities after graduation.

"It seems that you are fine with being hated by the rest."

"Other people's evaluations, they don’t matter to me."

Kiryuuin gave a straightforward reply accompanied with strange laughter

"I wanted to ask you something, but instead you're the one asking the questions."

As if switching from defence to offence, Kiryuuin asked me a question.

"It's about time you told me about yourself."

"Why me? There are many students who excel in their studies."

"It's intuition. My instincts tell me that the person in front of me is no ordinary person."

Trusting her instincts with no basis at all.

If it wasn't for the fact that I knew they were alike, I might have mistaken her for Kouenji.

"Are you planning to get first place in the uninhabited island exam?"

"There's no student who doesn't want to be first. Except maybe, for people like you, Kiryuuin-senpai."

"Letting aside first place, I'm also one of the people who is aiming for a top spot. If I get a high position, I can get private points. I'm the type to spend whatever I have, so I'm always short of money."

Class Points and Protection Points were of secondary importance to her.

At the end of the day, Kiryuuin would only take the exam for her sake and for the sake of the private points alone.

"Nagumo and Kiriyama will obviously aim for 1st place, and it seems that there are some competent underclassmen, right? The upcoming special exam will determine the first place at the school."

"That does seem to be the case."

What was needed was not limited to just academic and physical ability.

If it was a battle where you had to fight with everything you've got, then what she said was true.

"Whether my interest in you disappears or not, it all depends on what you do in the uninhabited island exam."

"On the contrary, I hope that your interest in me disappears."

"I see. You say some interesting things, underclassman. I'm looking forward to fighting you, Ayanokouji."

With that, Kiryuuin waved me away as if shooing away a stray animal.

"I'll take my leave then."

Although I've met with a strange 3rd year, one thing is for certain.

If I wanted to secure a top position in the next special exam, I would have to defeat Kiryuuin.

And it might prove to be even more troublesome than defeating Nagumo and Kiriyama.