Classroom of the Elite (LN)

Sakayanagi ended her exchange with Ichinose there.

I had just finished my food and drank my 200ml ocha tea.

“Ichinose-san is the most popular student within the entire year. To shoot her heart down, what a sinful person.”

She said that frivolously, but I can’t take that in a good way. Not even for a millimeter.

“You’re harsh Sakayanagi.”

“Fufufu, it’s in my nature.”

She went ahead and protected Ichinose while laying the groundwork to use her.

“If I hurt her now, Ichinose will come to trust you more.”

“If I can get her trust, it will be easier to conduct myself around her after all.”

Sakayanagi could be saying that as an ally, or, of course, as an enemy.

It’s exactly because those are two sides of the same coin of their relationship that she can use it so well.

“But why did you tell me such a thing?”

“Our talk until now has been about Ichinose-san, but what’s important is not her. It’s that within this school, the number of people who know about you is increasing little by little. And they’re very interested in you.”

As she says, on the island, if my relationship with Ichinose were shallow then she wouldn’t have gone so far as to cause trouble for her comrades just to come to me.

“And in addition to them, the 3rd years have been looking at you with strange eyes.”

I see. The reason she followed me was to speak, but that was the specific goal. Within that short time, Sakayanagi noticed that I was being watched by the 3rd years. As expected.

Her words until now were implicitly spoken to prepare for us to touch on this.

“Has there been trouble with the 3rd years?”

“Well, trouble is a good word for it. It seems I’ve accidentally antagonized a dangerous opponent.”

“A dangerous opponent… the Student Council President.”

Among the high-ranking students who might become my enemy, no one comes to mind but Nagumo and those around him.

“I had a quarrel with him on the last day of the island test. Because of that it seems that he lost 1st place and has now made me his enemy.”

“In trying to perform a dramatic victory his feet got swept out from under him.”

“You’ve noticed that too?”

“’Kouenji-kun is peerless on his own’, was how most students saw it. But I noticed from an early stage that the student council president had been deliberately controlling the acquisition of points. Because if he took the lead by too many points, then it would have become obvious that he had let his chosen group win. I could also see his plan from the cards he owned.

I had evaluated Sakayanagi’s ability to be considerably high, but it still went even higher.

This was proof that she had perfectly grasped all the things that were happening in the island test.

“Is there something I can help with?”

“No, it’s fine. Nagumo can’t be too flashy with his methods. Besides, I’ve already received a great favour from you on the island. I can’t ask for anything more.”

“It would be fine to not mind it. I was happy that you relied on me, and I used your proposal to my heart’s content.”

“Used? What do you mean?”

Sakayanagi giggled, narrowed her eyes and looked at the ocean.

“A few days ago, when the uninhabited island test’s end was in sight, I judged that it would be difficult to get 1st or 2nd place. The pace at which Kouenji-kun and the student council president’s group accumulated points was more than what my group could with all of their might.”

Well, those two groups put up a fight on a different level.

“I aimed for 3rd place, but among my rivals at the end was Ryuuen-kun’s group. He showed an astounding persistence with Katsuragi-kun. Then I appealed for his cooperation to crush Housen-kun.”

“I see. So it’s like that.”

“Regardless of how, if Ryuuen-kun moved away from the test then the rate of their point acquisition would slow. As a result, he retired, and we benefited the most.”

Which means she had succeeded in getting rid of her rival, Ryuuen, while helping me.

However, even after all this time, there’s a part I don’t understand.

Ryuuen also poured in his effort to aim for the winners’ podium for 2 weeks. But he went along with Sakayanagi so easily.

It shouldn’t have been difficult for him to imagine that he wouldn’t have gotten away from a fight with Housen safely.

It’s clear that they made some sort of promise but…

If it’s enough to throw away his chance at 3rd place, it couldn’t have been a small trade.

“Suitable compensation… Did you give him a large amount of private points, for instance?”

If Sakayanagi took good advantage of the cards her classmates held, she should have made revenue. It would be no wonder if she offered a huge sum to Ryuuen, who is trying to accumulate private points.

“I haven’t paid even a single point, and neither will I pay in the future.”

“So it’s not money.”

In this school, exchanging private points is a common practice.

“You seem puzzled, but I won’t tell you now. This is a promise between him and me. That is until he tells me to fulfill it in the near future.”

『That request will soon wrap itself around my neck』 was what Sakayanagi was saying.

Taking that into account, it probably isn’t something that is based on private points or currency.

“Anyway, please take care, Ayanokouji-kun. Even if you solve one problem, the White Room still remains, and the 3rd years have become a problem as well.”

“It’s one thing after another, but I’ll take care.”

I heard a ringtone from Sakayanagi.

She lightly asked me for permission before taking a call from someone.

“-Is that right? I’ll be there right away.”

Her phone conversation ended within 5 seconds. Sakayanagi separated herself from the handrails.

“I’ve promised to meet with someone after this, so please excuse me.”

“Okay. See you again.”

“It was enjoyable speaking with you. Then, I’ll see you again.”

Looking at Sakayanagi who slowly walked away, I made to stare at the ocean just a bit more.