"Argh! Damn it, what the hell are those guys trying to pull?!"
As soon as Sudou entered the classroom, he started venting his frustration. After throwing his bag onto his seat, he walked straight over to Horikita, complaining like a child tattling to a teacher.
"Suzune, those guys from Class C… Well, I mean Ryuen! He came looking for trouble first thing in the morning, blocking my way in the hallway. It really pissed me off!"
"You didn't say anything offensive or start a fight, did you?"
Hearing this, Horikita put down her book and looked at Sudou.
"No, I kept my temper in check."
"Good. They're getting dropped to Class D next month, so just ignore them like the desperate losers they are."
Hearing Sudou's response, Kanda Shuichi, who was sitting in front of Horikita, also turned around and gave his input.
"Kanda's right. They're probably just trying to provoke you into a fight so they can get Class D penalized. You haven't forgotten what happened last semester, have you? The sports festival incident?"
Last semester, Sudou had been falsely accused after a fight with them, and during the sports festival, he had punched Ryuen.
If Kanda Shuichi hadn't stepped in to handle things, Sudou couldn't even imagine what his situation would be like now. He'd probably be ostracized by the class or even expelled.
"Uh… I might have bumped into his shoulder when I pushed past him. That should be fine, right?" Clearly shaken by past experiences, Sudou looked a bit nervous.
"That's not a problem. The current student council is pretty lenient about these things. In fact, they're even considering allowing a certain level of fighting."
Kanda Shuichi shared the latest news he had heard from Nagumo a couple of days ago.
"Huh? R-Really?"
Hearing Kanda Shuichi's words, Sudou immediately perked up.
But just as he got excited, Horikita poured cold water on his enthusiasm.
"Even if it's allowed, you can't be the one to start it. No one knows exactly where the line is yet."
"Oh, uh… Got it. I've learned my lesson. Even if I get hit, I'll stay put."
Seeing Horikita looking a bit angry, Sudou immediately nodded repeatedly.
Meanwhile, Kanda Shuichi felt a little disappointed.
The reason he had said those things earlier was to provoke Sudou and the guys from Class C into a fight, just to see how Nagumo would handle it.
No matter how it turned out, Kanda Shuichi could use the situation to test Nagumo's limits—to see if he really didn't care about small fights or if he was actually setting a trap for him.
Too bad Horikita messed it up.
Oh well, there would be more chances later.
"What do you mean by just taking a beating? Standing there and getting hit—what kind of nonsense is that? Are you an idiot? If you get hit—"
"Hey! You're not trying to encourage him to fight, are you?" Horikita cut Kanda Shuichi off with a sharp look.
"What are you talking about? Do I look like that kind of person?" Kanda Shuichi put on a displeased expression. "If you get hit, of course you should run. They can't catch up to you, right?"
Hearing that, Horikita's expression turned a little awkward.
"Well… I guess a strategic retreat isn't a bad idea."
Obviously. Running away is the best move in certain situations—standing there and taking a beating is just stupid.
Half a month had passed since the Paper Shuffle exam, and Ryuen had finally started making moves again. But what was his goal this time? Was he planning to drag Class D down with him?
That didn't seem like his style. If he really wanted to go down, he wouldn't just stop at Class D—he'd definitely drag Class A and B into it too.
But right now, it looked like his focus was only on Class D.
Was he coming after me?
Or… did he actually take my words seriously back then and decide to find out who planted the bug in his class?
Then, all of a sudden, Kanda Shuichi remembered something—he hadn't logged into that anonymous email he used to send Ryuen the recording in a long time.
Anonymous emails could be created by spending points. Kanda Shuichi had only used his once after buying it.
So, he pulled out his phone and opened that long-neglected anonymous email account.
And what he saw made his eye twitch.
There were a few emails from Ryuen inside.
[Who are you?]
[You've got some nerve planting a bug in my class.]
[I will find you.]
So Ryuen was trying to track down the person who planted the bug?
Instinctively, Kanda Shuichi glanced at Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.
Could it be this guy?
No way a Class A student would pull off something as sneaky as bugging Class C. Class B had been too busy targeting Class A lately, so they wouldn't have had the time.
And there was no way someone from Class C did it—Ryuen's reputation was too fearsome among his own people.
That only left students from Class D.
And when it came to Class D, Kanda Shuichi's first suspect was Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.
After all, most of the students here were clueless about anything—but Ayanokouji? This guy was different.
"Uh… why are you looking at me like that? I don't think I did anything that would make you stare at me like this."
Noticing Kanda Shuichi's odd gaze, Ayanokouji scratched his head.
"I heard someone placed a sticker-type bug under the podium in Ryuen's classroom. Do you know anything about that?"
Kanda Shuichi asked with a meaningful look.
"A sticker-type bug? I have no idea what that is."
Ayanokouji tried to act clueless, but to Kanda Shuichi, his expression was way too stiff.
And facing Kanda Shuichi's "I know it was you, denying it won't help" look, Ayanokouji still chose not to admit anything.
You don't have any proof anyway. There's no way Chabashira-sensei told you, right?
With that, the brief questioning ended. Soon, Chabashira-sensei arrived in class and held a quick morning meeting. But today, she seemed a little different from usual.
To most people, she looked the same as always, but Kanda Shuichi, who was more familiar with her, could sense a hint of restlessness between her brows.
This discovery made Kanda Shuichi frown. No matter what others said, Chabashira had always treated him well.
Not only had she given him two million private points as starting funds at the beginning, but she also provided him with a monthly allowance of 100,000 points.
Kanda Shuichi knew she was using him to help Class D rise up, but she never forced him to do anything he didn't want to do.
So, he didn't have a bad impression of Chabashira Sae. Seeing her act so out of character today, he couldn't help but wonder what had happened.
The school day passed quickly.
Before dismissal, there was the usual 15-minute period where teachers made announcements. After school, Kanda Shuichi immediately followed Chabashira-sensei out of the classroom.
Something about her route seemed off. Judging by the way she was moving… was she following Ayanokouji?
Kanda Shuichi raised an eyebrow. This was getting interesting. He decided not to call out to her right away and instead quietly followed along.
And so, this unusual trio made their way from the noisy hallway all the way to a stairwell further from the entrance.
"…Ayanokouji."
Once there were fewer people around, Chabashira-sensei finally called out to him.
"You need something from me?"
"Yes. Come with me, we need to talk."
"I'm afraid I can't. I already have plans to meet with Horikita."
Liar, Kanda Shuichi thought from his hiding spot. Horikita left a long time ago.
"Sorry, but you don't have the right to refuse. This is very important."
"I see." Ayanokouji nodded. "I understand. But first, could the person over there come out?"
His words made Chabashira Sae freeze for a moment. Following his gaze, she turned her head.
At the same time, Kanda Shuichi sighed and stepped out from behind the corner.
"This makes twice now, Ayanokouji." Kanda Shuichi smirked. "Your senses are pretty sharp."
"Kanda…? Why are you here?" Chabashira-sensei looked slightly shaken.
"Because you seemed distracted all day, Sae-chan. I was a little worried, so I decided to check on you," Kanda Shuichi said honestly. "Turns out it was about Ayanokouji, huh?"
"This doesn't concern you," Chabashira shook her head, as if trying to keep him out of it.
"No, the fact that you're so troubled already makes it my business."
Seeing Chabashira's reaction, Kanda Shuichi couldn't help but tease her a little.
Watching him speak so casually and confidently, Chabashira Sae, who had been tense just moments ago, suddenly felt at ease.
That's right. Even if I lose Ayanokouji, so what? I still have an even stronger trump card.
"Thanks, Kanda." Chabashira's face returned to its usual seriousness. She then turned to Ayanokouji. "Ayanokouji, come with me. Someone wants to see you."
Ayanokouji, still completely in the dark, had no idea what was coming next.
"If you're free, Kanda, you should come too."
Kanda Shuichi nodded, and the three of them headed to the student guidance office—a place he had visited multiple times before.
"Principal, I've brought Ayanokouji Kiyotaka."
*Principal?*
Kanda Shuichi raised an eyebrow. The principal had only appeared once before, during the entrance ceremony, and now, all of a sudden, he wanted to see Ayanokouji?
Kanda Shuichi was curious about what was going to happen next.
"Come in."
A gentle yet authoritative voice came from inside. Chabashira-sensei then opened the door to the office.
Inside, there were two people. One was a middle-aged man Kanda didn't recognize—he had a fierce look about him. The other was the principal, whom he had only seen once at the entrance ceremony.
"Well then, I'll leave you two to talk… Is that alright?"
"Of course."
"Then I'll excuse myself. Take your time."
*He's the principal, yet he's acting all respectful toward someone younger than him? Interesting.*
"Alright, I'll be leaving too…"
With that, Chabashira-sensei also stepped out of the office, leaving only Ayanokouji and the unfamiliar middle-aged man inside.
"What's going on here?"
Kanda Shuichi asked curiously.
Chabashira Sae shook her head. "I'm not too sure about the details either."
"I see. Got it." Kanda Shuichi nodded.
Then, he took out his phone and opened something.
[Why don't you have a seat first? I came here just to see you.]
The voice of the man from earlier played through Kanda Shuichi's phone.
Chabashira-sensei looked stunned when she heard it.
"What… is this?"
"It's their conversation inside." Kanda Shuichi answered as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
"I know that, but how do you even have this?"
Chabashira Sae looked completely bewildered, struggling to make sense of it.
"I've been here a few times before. Ryuen once told me that someone placed a sticker-like bug under their classroom podium. That got me interested, so last time we came here to talk, I casually placed one under the desk."
Chabashira Sae was speechless. *Seriously? Installing a bug here? Kanda Shuichi, you're something else…*
"That sticker bug was actually something Ayanokouji asked me to plant in Class C."
"I see. I figured it was his doing, but I didn't expect you to be involved too, Sae-chan." Kanda Shuichi nodded.
Just then, the voice from the phone continued playing.
Kanda Shuichi and Chabashira Sae immediately stopped talking to listen.
[I don't plan on sitting down for a long chat. I have plans with a friend later.]
[A friend? Don't make me laugh. There's no way you have friends.]
Hearing this, Kanda Shuichi and Chabashira Sae exchanged glances. They had no idea why the man was so sure about that.
[You must have seen him just now. He didn't come inside, but he was right outside the door.]
You really just say whatever comes to mind, huh? First, you said you had plans with Horikita, and now you're saying you have plans with me. Did you even ask for my permission before using me as an excuse?
But Kanda Shuichi didn't plan on barging in to deny it. Instead, he quietly listened to their conversation, wanting to figure out who Ayanokouji really was.
[Hmph, this is pointless. I've already had the school prepare the withdrawal papers, and I just finalized everything with the principal. All that's left is for you to say YES, and it'll be over.]
[I have no reason to drop out.]
[That might be true for you, but not for me.]
[You're his father, aren't you? Are you really going to twist your child's wishes just for your own convenience?]
[Father? Have you ever thought of me as a father?]
[Not really, no.]
Ayanokouji's dad?
Kanda Shuichi's face showed a hint of surprise. He remembered Ayanokouji once mentioned that his father was still alive. So, this was the guy?
But he really didn't look the part at all.
As the conversation continued, Kanda Shuichi and Chabashira Sae learned about a side of Ayanokouji that no one knew about.
For example, he had once lived in a place called the White Room.
And his father seemed to have absolute authority over everything in the White Room.
As for how Ayanokouji got into this school, it was apparently thanks to a man named Matsuo. He was the one who made it happen.
But it seemed like Matsuo met a terrible end. Ayanokouji's father forced him into a corner until he took his own life, and his son ended up committing suicide as well.
Then, Ayanokouji's father mentioned something— a plan that had been in the works for sixteen years.
If Kanda Shuichi remembered correctly, Ayanokouji had just recently turned sixteen.
Did that mean he had been part of this so-called plan since the moment he was born?
Had he spent his entire life in that White Room?
Kanda Shuichi and Chabashira Sae exchanged looks, both seeing the same shock in each other's eyes.
The rest of the conversation was mostly pointless. Ayanokouji and his father simply had different views.
His father was forcing him to withdraw, but Ayanokouji completely ignored him.
Kanda Shuichi didn't bother listening anymore because he noticed a man in his forties walking toward them from a distance.
As soon as he saw the man, Kanda Shuichi immediately shut off the eavesdropping app on his phone and put it away.
"Hello, Chairman Sakayanagi. Ayanokouji has been in there for a while now."
So this was Chairman Sakayanagi? Sakayanagi Arisu's father?
Sae-chan must be giving me a hint here.
"Thank you for your hard work, Chabashira-sensei." The man, addressed as Chairman, nodded at Chabashira Sae before turning to Kanda Shuichi with a gentle smile.
"It's been a while, Kanda-dono."
Dono?
Why does this guy sound just like the Professor? That guy always goes around calling people 'Dono' this and 'Dono' that. But at least he's a high schooler, so I get it—he's still stuck in his chuunibyou phase.
But you? A middle-aged man in your forties or fifties? Isn't this a bit much?
Still, since the guy was just greeting him, Kanda Shuichi couldn't exactly call him out on it. And now wasn't the time to ask about it anyway. So, he simply nodded and said, "Hello, Chairman Sakayanagi."
As for how this guy knew him, Kanda Shuichi didn't really care.
No way Sakayanagi Arisu went crying to her dad about me bullying her, right?
But… just now, he said, "It's been a while."
Had we met before?
"I'll be going in now."
After saying that, Chairman Sakayanagi pushed the door open and walked in.
Once the door closed again, Kanda Shuichi took out his phone.
Unfortunately, even though Chairman Sakayanagi and Ayanokouji's father had an argument inside, Kanda and the others didn't get any useful information.
All they learned was that Sakayanagi had apparently worked under Ayanokouji's father before.
In the end, this man named Sakayanagi seemed to have convinced Ayanokouji's father to give up on making Ayanokouji drop out.
Ayanokouji's father was the first to come out of the room. He didn't even spare a glance at Kanda Shuichi or Chabashira Sae before leaving.
A few minutes later, Ayanokouji and Chairman Sakayanagi also stepped out. After a brief exchange of goodbyes, Chairman Sakayanagi left, leaving just the three of them behind.
"Chabashira-sensei, you really are a liar, huh? You never actually had the power to make me drop out, did you?"
"I don't want to hear that from someone who's full of lies himself." Chabashira Sae wasn't fazed by Ayanokouji's words at all. "You're right, I don't have the power to expel you. So, you're free now. Not that you ever really did anything for Class D, anyway."
Ayanokouji fell silent at her words. It was true—aside from helping out a little during the sports festival, he hadn't really contributed much.
"Hmm, is there anything else I don't know about?"
Kanda Shuichi rubbed his chin and tilted his head.
"Yeah, I once used the threat of expulsion to force Ayanokouji to help the class. But looking back now, it was a pointless effort."
Chabashira Sae admitted her actions without hesitation.
"Threatening students isn't something a teacher should be doing, Sae-chan."
Kanda Shuichi shook his head. Good thing you didn't try that on me, or else…
"You're right. I'm sorry, Ayanokouji."
Ayanokouji was a little surprised to hear an adult apologize to him.
After all, in the place where he grew up, adults never apologized, even when they were wrong.
But either way, from now on, he was free to live as he pleased in this school. That thought brought him a sense of relief.
"You two go on ahead. I need to clean up in here," Chabashira Sae said to Kanda Shuichi and Ayanokouji.
"Alright."
"See you."
The two left the counseling room, then went back to their classroom to grab their bags before heading out of the school.
"Hey, Ayanokouji, I've got a question for you."
"What is it?"
"What is White Room?"
Kanda Shuichi's words made Ayanokouji stop in his tracks.
"Where did you hear that term?"
Seeing the serious look on Ayanokouji's face, Kanda raised an eyebrow.
"Didn't you say it yourself?"
I said it myself?
Ayanokouji started thinking. Since coming to this school, he had never once mentioned White Room.
The last person who knew about it was Sakayanagi Arisu.
But she shouldn't have any connection to Kanda.
That meant there was only one possible explanation…
"You were eavesdropping?"
Ayanokouji felt his whole body go numb.
Was the soundproofing in that counseling room really that bad?
No, that shouldn't be the case. Which means… was there a surveillance camera in the room?
That didn't seem likely either. With that man's level of awareness, he would have noticed if there was a camera in the room. So…
Did Kanda Shuichi plant a listening device in there?
"You bugged the room or something?"
Faced with Ayanokouji's suspicion, Kanda Shuichi just smiled without saying a word.
Was Kanda targeting me?
That didn't seem right. That man's visit was definitely unexpected, so there was no way Kanda could have prepared in advance. The same went for Chabashira-sensei.
So if he placed a bug in there, it wasn't aimed at me. In other words, I just got caught up in it by accident?
"Kanda, I know you're smart—smarter than any high school student I've ever met. But let me give you a piece of advice: don't try to dig into my business."
Everyone has secrets they want to keep. The moment Kanda Shuichi stepped into Ayanokouji's domain, Ayanokouji immediately gave him a warning.
"Oh? And what if I insist?"
"Then be prepared to be crushed by me." Ayanokouji Kiyotaka said, his voice completely devoid of emotion.
"Is that so? I'm looking forward to it." Kanda Shuichi smiled, then took a step forward and walked away. "Though, it would've been better if you had said that before the exam. That way, I could have just gotten rid of you right then and there."
Without bothering to look at Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's reaction, Kanda Shuichi took out his phone and sent a message to someone.
[I've found the culprit. The one who planted the bug was Ayanokouji Kiyotaka from Class D.]
The recipient was, of course, Ryuen Kakeru from Class C.
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You can read 10 advanced chapters at my patreon.com/YeyeQiu