Tomorrow was the first of July, so the new class points would be revealed. This June, our class had put in a lot of effort. Tardiness, talking, or discreetly using the phone were things of the past.
This month, nothing interesting happened. It was like a normal student's life: attending classes, chatting with friends, buying snacks in the cafeterias, studying, going out occasionally for fun, etc.
Unlike in May, when I only helped Mii-chan's study group, I decided to join them in the library this June. I still liked studying alone, but I don't think it was totally bad.
Mii-chan's study group was exactly the same. Inogashira, Satō, Maezono, Ichihashi, and Okitani. Each of them put in much more effort than the previous month. So they would probably do just as well or even better than before. Although no one had the exam answers for this period, except Kushida and me.
Thanks to the study group, I have become closer to them.
Okitani is a nice guy once you get to know him, he gets excited quite quickly, and like another guy from Class D, he loves women but he's not a pervert. Of course, when Okitani gets comfortable with other guys, he can talk a lot about that. But he also has great respect for women. His favorite hobby is playing video games.
So at least now I have someone to hang out with playing games.
Mii-chan is quite shy at first, but once someone gains her trust, she can be quite talkative, especially when she's teaching our study group. She's quite reserved but also easy to converse with. I was also surprised that she could speak several languages. Spanish, English, Chinese, Japanese, and French, were some of the languages she could speak when I asked her.
Maezono is quite bold. She has no shame in the things she asks or talks about. That can be a bit heavy for most people. Still, she knows when to keep her mouth shut because she can read the atmosphere. When Maezono realizes she went too far, she apologizes.
Ichihashi is a very considerate person. She almost always treats Mii-chan and me to a dessert for helping her with her studies. She enjoys cooking a lot, so she prefers to make her own food than buy it elsewhere. The only exception is when someone invites her out to eat. She loves desserts. Her favorite is strawberry cake.
Inogashira has improved his social skills since we first talked. Joining the Drama Club has been very helpful for him. Also, to my surprise, Inogashira gave me a handmade scarf when he found out I hated the cold.
Satō is a very nice person. She's also very cooperative. She has been getting closer to me lately and is not trying to hide it either. Satō is someone who can easily keep conversations going, and they're not boring conversations. She's basically the one who talks the most in our group.
At some point, when Kushida was in my room to de-stress, she asked me why I didn't redistribute the exams. I replied that, although it's not illegal to use old exams to study the answers, it's better not to abuse them because you never know the consequences. Plus, redistributing the exams would make people get used to it.
The exams were too easy, or maybe it was just easy for me since some still had difficulties. Sudō was learning in Horikita's study group, along with Ike and Yamauchi. Ayanokōji and Kushida were also helping Horikita's study group.
I also established a cooperative relationship with Matsushita so that we could move up to Class A. She was the one who offered to help me while I helped her by sharing my information with her, even revealing that she was holding back in the exams. But she was the one who was surprised when I told her I already knew.
I'm sitting on a bench waiting for Sudō to finish his basketball practice. Now you might be wondering why I'm waiting for him.
Well, it was so Sudō's case wouldn't exist. I've been thinking for a long time whether I should get involved or not. But in the end, the advantages that Class D would have, together with Class C, far outweigh the disadvantages. My knowledge of the future is a big weapon that I should make use of.
I took my phone out of my pocket before dialing a number and calling.
"[Nakatomi-kun?]" Kushida answered from the other end of the phone, the background noise making it clear she wasn't alone.
"Hi, Kushida. Is there anyone around you?" I said.
"[No, I'm alone in my room. As you asked. So, are you going to tell me what you're planning?]" Kushida asked with evident curiosity in her tone.
"I want you to record the conversations you hear from your phone. I'll explain later," I said.
"[I still don't understand what's going on, but okay.]" Kushida responded.
I noticed my target was leaving the building called the Gymnasium. Alright, it was time to use the card I prepared in advance to create a distraction.
"Kushida, try not to make any noise, or you'll give me away," I said before locking my phone and putting it back in my pocket.
I got up from the bench and quickly approached Sudō.
"Hey, Sudō!" I shouted, raising my arm to get his attention.
"Huh, Nakatomi. What's up? I'm kinda in a hurry right now," he said.
"Don't worry. I won't take much of your time, but maybe... this might take a while," I said as I rummaged through my bag before pulling it out.
"Wait... what are you—"
"I'm not sure what's inside, but when I was leaving the gym. Today, in the morning. Someone approached me and told me to give this to you," I replied as I handed Sudō a letter.
The letter was well-crafted. Even the scent of the paper was quite refreshing. To open the letter, you had to remove the heart sticker that kept it sealed. It was pretty obvious what the letter was about at first glance.
Sudō took the letter with disbelief and looked at me with clear suspicion. "This isn't a joke, is it?"
I shrugged. "I'm not sure, buddy. The girl who gave it to me didn't seem to have bad intentions. But I think it's worth checking out anyway."
Thanks to Kushida's information, I discovered that Sudō went to the gym in the morning to maintain or improve his physique. Because of this, I decided to buy the gym pass for this month so I could approach Sudō without making him suspicious and making it seem like a mere coincidence.
"Who was the girl? Are you sure it wasn't meant for you?" Sudō asked as he opened the letter to read it and verify that the recipient was indeed him.
"I'm sure it wasn't for me. She told me not to tell you her name. You know, she's the typical girl who likes mysterious confessions, I guess," I shrugged.
Sudō's eyes widened in surprise after reading the content of the letter. "Damn, Ike and Yamauchi will be jealous once they find out."
From Sudō's look, he still couldn't fully believe he was receiving a confession. Not that I blamed him; not many people thought of Sudō as boyfriend material. But even then, if it was a prank, he would be willing to go just to verify the authenticity of the letter.
"Still. I can't believe this. What if it's a prank?"
I shrugged. "I don't think you have anything to lose by trying. By the way, what time and where do you have to meet this girl?"
Sudō checked the time and place where it would take place.
"Damn it," Sudō muttered under his breath. "It's in 20 minutes, and the place is quite far from the gym. Although I can still make it on time."
Sudō looked doubtful. As if he was thinking about what decision to make.
"What's wrong, Sudō?"
"Tch. I'm supposed to go to the special building. Because Kondō and Komiya wanted to talk to me about something important. Or that's what those guys said."
"Kondō and Komiya? I thought you told me they were the ones who had you scouted for your basketball skills when I asked you about them."
"Yeah. Not that I care. That's why I was going to the building to see what they wanted. If they're planning something, then I'll let them know not to mess with me."
"You say it as if they want to fight you," I said, raising an eyebrow out of curiosity.
"I'm not saying that. Just that you can never be sure with those guys; it's better to be prepared. That's why I'm doubting about this," Sudō said, pointing to his letter.
"Well, if you want, I can go to the special building and tell them you had an issue. Plus, if the letter is real, then it would be rude not to give the girl a response. Remember, it takes courage to confess."
"Really? Are you sure about that?" Sudō looked at me skeptically for a moment.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine. I don't think they'll do anything suspicious. Even if they try, I know self-defense," I reassured him.
Sudō looked at me surprised before nodding. "Alright. Then I appreciate it, Nakatomi."
Sudō bid me goodbye before taking a different route than the one he was destined for today. I watched his back until he disappeared from my line of sight.
A sigh of relief that I didn't know I was holding escaped my lips. I just hoped Sudō wouldn't get too angry for tricking him when he found out the letter was fake. Hopefully, he'll think I wasn't involved in that.
With that, I started walking toward my real destination. The special building.
I didn't know where the fight would take place. The only clue I possibly have is the area they showed us in the anime. But even then, I can't be completely sure, so I had to check if my assumption was correct.
After a few moments, I arrived at the special building. I had already done a tour of the special building beforehand, so I knew which parts of the building didn't have security cameras. It was in one of those places where they probably set up the trap for Sudō.
Marking on a map where the cameras were located helped me a lot to recognize the school grounds. But no matter how many times I went around the school on my own, it remained too impressive and awe-inspiring to me.
I paused momentarily on the stairs.
I took a deep breath before continuing.
Step, step.
My steps echoed in the silent building, but I realized that the higher I climbed the stairs, I could hear people talking. Suddenly, the voices stopped, I guess they must have heard my steps.
Step, step.
I stopped when I finished climbing the stairs to stand in front of the three people who were waiting for Sudō. The three students from Class C. They looked at me with surprise on their faces; they didn't expect someone other than Sudō to be in this place.
"Eh. Who are you?" Komiya Kyogo was the one who broke the silence.
The three Class C students looked at each other.
"Hey. We're waiting for someone, so you better leave. It's a private matter," Ishizaki Daichi warned me.
"You're waiting for Sudō, right?" I asked with a slight smile.
"What?"
The three students looked at each other with surprise, not knowing what to say in the face of the revelation. To my surprise, Ishizaki was the first to recover.
"It's none of your business. We're just waiting for someone to talk to him. I don't think it'll take long, but we need you to leave," he said.
"Unfortunately, I can't leave. As I was telling you, Sudō won't come to see you because he has some pending matters. So, he sent me in his place," I replied, giving a glance at Kondō and Komiya. "Besides, Sudō told me he was going to meet Kondō and Komiya, but he never told me you'd be here."
"So Sudō was too cowardly to come himself and sent his messenger. Haha," Kondō laughed at the unexpected turn of events.
"Haha, yeah. How pathetic. He's probably crapping his pants," Komiya joined in the laughter.
"Tch. Let's get out of here. If Sudō isn't coming, then we have no reason to stay," Ishizaki ordered the other two students. Shutting them both up, they were probably going to withdraw from the plan and wait for new orders from Ryūen. But I wouldn't allow it.
"Hey, Ishizaki-kun. Are you sure he'll be satisfied with failing?" Komiya asked.
"Oh~" I sang mockingly in my voice. "The way you phrased that question, you're implying that this whole scenario was prepared in advance."
The three Class C students shivered briefly. Bingo.
"So I'm right, huh? This was a trap set up for Sudō, I guess he's the one who orchestrated this whole scenario, right?"
"I don't know what you're talking about. We just wanted to talk to Sudō," Ishizaki replied.
"Yeah, just talking. Then there wouldn't be any need for you to be here, right?"
"Haven't you heard about Sudō's behavior? I'm... cautious, because of rumors that Sudō is a violent person," Ishizaki replied, but his answer had a certain hesitation.
"It's true that Sudō can be... excitable? But even then, he only loses his temper when provoked. But I guess you guys know that, right? You were going to provoke him so Sudō would attack you, and then you'd report him to the school."
When the three students opened their eyes in surprise, I laughed.
"So what she said was true. To think that Class C would try to attack Class D," I looked at them as if they were insignificant ants to intimidate. "You idiots were too obvious. Our leader started to suspect when Class B received a massive point loss. She told me to be on the lookout for any attacks from Class C against us. I thought she was just being paranoid, but I guess she was right and I was wrong."
"What the hell?"
"How did he know?"
Komiya and Kondō said respectively as they looked shocked. Ishizaki had a look of absolute horror as if he were thinking about the consequences once Ryūen found out.
"I-I don't have proof of what you're saying. Like I said, we just wanted to talk to Sudō," Ishizaki said, but his initial stuttering made it seem unconvincing.
"Y-yeah. Ishizaki's right. You have no proof of anything," Komiya said.
I rolled my eyes. "You know, if you're going to lie, you better make it convincing. Your facial expressions contradict everything you're saying," I mocked.
"And so what? Even if what you're saying is true, you have no proof to confirm what you're talking about."
"I just want to confirm if what she told me was true. Don't worry, I'm not recording anything," I said as I took my phone out of my bag.
I entered the phone's password to show them I was unlocking it before showing them the phone's screen. I even opened the phone's applications to reassure them. They didn't detect anything out of the ordinary.
"Now do you believe me? She has no intention of attacking you; she just wanted to make it clear that Class D will surpass Class C very soon. Your leader's plans were easily uncovered. It's obvious which class is superior," I gave them an arrogant smile.
"Tch. Don't get cocky just because we failed once," Komiya retorted.
"Ishizaki, why don't we continue with the plan? It might not be Sudō, but even then it could work out for us," Kondō suggested.
"It doesn't make sense, it's better not to cause trouble for him. We just have to tell him the plan couldn't work out this time," Ishizaki saw that it didn't make sense to continue with the plan.
Despite not being as smart as some other people, I could tell that their plan wouldn't work once it was discovered. They could try to make it work, but out of fear of ruining it and getting hurt, it was more sensible to withdraw and wait for new orders.
Just as the three Class C students were about to leave, I stopped them.
"I can't let you go. You haven't answered me yet. Your class leader wanted to set a trap for Sudō to harm our class, right?"
"Tch. We don't have to answer to someone like you. Let's go, we have nothing to talk to this guy about," Ishizaki replied.
"I think you misunderstood. I'm not asking you a question. I'm giving you an order," I said in a cold tone.
Just as I finished my sentence, I let out a bit of my killing intent. I wasn't sure how I could do this particular trick. Because a person's killing intent isn't something you can summon at will, to perform this technique you need a certain amount of mental training. The technique is much more effective when you emit certain malicious feelings.
It wasn't enough to completely paralyze them with fear, but it worked to make the three students raise their guard.
"What the-?"
Before Ishizaki could finish his sentence, I moved.
They were three meters away from me, but in a brief blink, I leaped towards them at great speed. This way, I closed the distance between us to face them head-on.
"!!!" Ishizaki startled.
"What the...?!" Kondō, who was to Ishizaki's right, exclaimed. His eyes were wide with shock as if they were about to pop out.
I could see that momentarily their reactions shifted to a more hostile one. Human instinct, no doubt.
When a person feels threatened by someone, their human instincts can react in two possible ways. Flight or Fight.
Releasing a certain degree of hostility towards others can generate a stimulus, and not just any stimulus but a violent one. Invading their personal space within seconds only generates more hostility. It's natural for a human being to try to expel hostile entities that enter their personal space without permission.
"Do you plan to leave so soon? You have the tongue to call Sudō a coward. But do you know what I think of you? I think you're hypocrites, I bet you don't even know how to throw a punch," I taunted them, making them shiver.
Komiya was the first to react, lunging towards me as he attempted to land a blow on my jaw.
My instincts warned me of the danger, causing me to dodge accordingly by jumping back and putting some distance between us.
When the three Class C students realized that the situation had turned hostile, they began to look at each other before nodding.
I got into a fighting stance. My heart was pounding rapidly against my chest as adrenaline flooded my circulatory system. I could feel that sensation in my body again. When I'm focused on a particular task.
It was quite addictive if I was honest with myself. But I guess that's for another time.
Two of the three students started to circle me. Komiya and Kondō. While Ishizaki walked in front of me. It seems they didn't plan to randomly hit me but preferred to corner me. Or maybe they think they can use my hostility towards them against me by making me think they're taking it seriously.
Seeing them separate, I made my move. I quickly lunged towards Komiya while aiming a kick at his head.
Foosh.
Komiya reacted by trying to cover his face as he crouched down a bit, but when Komiya blinked, he felt a strong rush of air pass over his hair. My kick went over his head.
Seeing his chance, Ishizaki lunged to punch me in the stomach, but I simply leaned to the side, dodging the sloppy punch.
I grabbed his fist before throwing him towards Kondō who was approaching on my left side. Both students collided, falling to the ground.
As I watched Ishizaki and Kondō fall, Komiya got back into the fight, trying to hit my ribs with a right hook. I put my palm up just in time to defend myself.
A sound resonated throughout the hallway.
I grimaced in pain. "Man, that stings," I muttered to myself.
Komiya tried to land punches and kicks on me, but I simply dodged them all. Frustration appeared on his face as he threw punches faster and more randomly.
I glanced over my shoulder. If I kept dodging, they would corner me on the stairs.
Ishizaki, who got up along with Kondō, paled as he realized something.
"Komiya, don't do it!" Ishizaki shouted, but it was too late.
Komiya kicked at me, and I could have dodged it. But intentionally, I let him hit my chest.
I hissed in pain as I felt the impact. My body was pushed backward. Where the stairs were.
My feet left the ground. The floor's height began to decrease due to the stairs leading to the lower floors. If my back hit the stairs' steps, I would suffer quite some damage.
Therefore, I spun in the air to land on my feet. Unfortunately, I didn't calculate my right foot's position very well. Because when my foot made contact with one of the stairs, an unpleasant sound echoed.
A groan of pain escaped my throat as my body failed to stabilize properly, causing me to stumble and continue falling until I reached the bottom of the stairs.
My mind went blank for a few minutes. I could only hear the distorted voices of the other Class C students; after a few seconds, even those voices faded away.
"Damn... This hurts," I complained quietly as I tried to get up.
I had made a stupid mistake, but I guessed not everything was going to go according to plan.
Once my mind returned to normal, I could feel all the pain in my body. Fortunately, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. But the only sharp pain I had was in my ankle.
"[Nakatomi-kun?]" I heard a voice with concern.
I sat up properly to look around so I could recognize the voice. I grimaced as I rubbed my forehead, where the impact of my fall had been.
"[Nakatomi-kun, are you there?! Are you okay?]" The voice repeated a little louder than usual.
Realizing where the sound was coming from, I pulled my phone out of my back pocket. Fortunately, the screen wasn't cracked.
"Yeah, I'm okay, don't worry. Did you do the favor I asked?" I inquired.
"[That's not important! I literally heard them thinking you were dead! What the hell were they talking about?! Can you explain it to me?! Because I'm not understanding any of this, you idiot!!]" Kushida yelled at me.
"There was a glitch in my plan, but don't worry, they were just exaggerating. Nobody's dead," I reassured her as I checked my ankle injury. "I'll explain later because this place might have unwanted observers. Goodbye~" My tone was soothing to calm Kushida down before hanging up the call.
I tucked my cell phone back into my pocket before pulling out the other phone I borrowed to check if it wasn't damaged. Luckily, it wasn't.
I sighed in relief.
Aside from the injury to my leg, everything had gone perfectly. But I guess this unforeseen event could work in my favor.
Still, I was impressed by my physical abilities, but to be honest, the way my body moved was thanks to muscle memory. It's as if I've made those movements before. When I'm sure I haven't. I've also noticed that my analytical ability is much better since I entered the world of Classroom of the Elite.
Except for the two strange dreams I've had so far. I couldn't help but furrow my brow in frustration. But I guess it was better not to think too much about it until I have more clues about what's going on.
With a sigh, I carefully got up before slowly climbing the stairs. As I ascended the stairs, I grimaced in pain from the throbbing in my ankle.
When I reached the floor where Sudō fought in the canon, I looked around to see if anyone was watching. I suppose Sakura had already left. I wonder if she left the place before or after the fight ended.
With a shrug, I limped over to where I had hidden a camera. I bought more than one camera because I didn't know where the fight would take place. So I was forced to buy more to capture different angles. The good thing is that they're small enough that no one notices them. Although it was a bit expensive, that's for sure.
I checked my private point balance again.
72,485 PPt.
The three cameras I bought cost me a total of 16,000 PPt, around 150 dollars. I also returned the 25,000 PPt to Matsushita. The rest of the points were spent on basic living necessities. Once I had all the cameras back, I stored them in my pocket.
When I left the special building, I didn't see anyone waiting or watching. What happened to the Class C students? They didn't even bother to help me, they just left me lying there and ran away like cowards.
I guess it didn't matter, I shrugged.
A burning sensation ran through my right ankle again.
"I guess I have to go to the medical bay," I murmured before slowly walking to the infirmary while limping on my affected leg.