Chapter 197 – Authority of Class D

Because of Matsushita's request, Karuizawa and the others had no objections. They had many questions that needed Matsushita's answers, so they went to the famous Palette Café to wait for her.

Matsushita had originally planned to go with Horikita to a nicer place, like another café in the Mall, to create a friendly atmosphere for their conversation.

However, as the two of them walked out of the school building, Horikita began heading towards the dormitories, intending to tell Matsushita, "Speak quickly; we need to be efficient."

But at that moment, Horikita suddenly recalled Yukio's advice during the sports festival at venue three: "Observe and think more, consider each class member's interests, positions, and relationships, and use them to achieve victory."

This made Horikita stop in her tracks and change her mind: "I forgot you were heading to Mall. Let's talk here."

Since she needed to consider interpersonal relationships, Horikita realized it wouldn't be convenient to make Matsushita go back to the dorms before heading to the mall to meet up with Karuizawa.

"Huh?" Matsushita was taken aback for a moment. She had been prepared to go back to the dorm with Horikita and then head to the mall, but she hadn't expected Horikita to show such "emotional intelligence."

For most people, this would be standard behavior, nothing surprising, but this was Horikita Suzune! Since when did she consider others? How could Matsushita not be amazed?

However, this small change was seen as a positive by Matsushita. This version of Horikita could be accepted by the class members.

Matsushita now wanted to help the class rise, so she couldn't afford to overlook such a useful talent as Horikita. She had been worried about how to improve the relationship between Horikita and the other class members, but now it seemed she didn't need to worry as much.

So Matsushita immediately put on a bright smile: "Here's the thing, Horikita-san. You seem to appreciate straightforwardness, so I won't waste time beating around the bush."

When Horikita saw Matsushita's bright expression, she couldn't help but feel a ripple of emotion inside. Was Yukio's method really that effective? Could it truly improve Matsushita's attitude so quickly?

It's no wonder Horikita felt this way. Since enrolling, the only girl who had ever smiled at her was Kushida.

However, Horikita understood deeply that Kushida's deliberate approach was filled with malice. She could feel the strong animosity behind Kushida's smile, which is why she kept her distance from her.

Aside from Kushida, no one else had ever smiled at her. If she were an ordinary student, she might have been so withdrawn that she would have dropped out by now.

Horikita had grown accustomed to such things. Whether someone smiled at her or not, she originally didn't care. But now, seeing Matsushita's smile, she realized that Yukio's teachings were quite effective.

That guy dared to impart such knowledge to her; he was too arrogant. She would have to work harder and catch up to him.

Matsushita, unaware that Horikita was thinking about a man, got straight to the point: "I want to unify the class, which means I'm essentially taking away your authority, Horikita-san."

"This is something that usually shouldn't be said directly, but knowing you, I think this straightforward conversation will be more acceptable to you."

"If you have any objections, I can apologize, but I won't regret it. The upcoming workplace special exam is very important and will be quite difficult. I'm seeking your understanding and support."

Yes, taking over. No matter how well Matsushita performed, at its core, she was taking away Horikita's authority to unify the class.

Initially, this authority was in Hirata's hands because he was well-liked and trusted by everyone in Class D.

However, during the deserted island exam, Hirata felt he lacked the ability and handed over his authority to Horikita, believing she could lead the class to victory.

If Horikita led the class to victory and their points surpassed other classes, they would no longer be Class D and could be called Horikita's class.

Although Horikita was ultimately defeated by Yukio, the authority didn't change hands. Now with Matsushita stepping in, Class D might soon be renamed to Matsushita's class.

Considering Horikita's talent and the overall combat strength of the class, Matsushita had to address this issue immediately.

Horikita was not angry about Matsushita taking over her authority. She never really cared about the power to unify the class. She only used it to command Class D in battles, hoping to advance to a higher level.

Since Matsushita had the same goal, she could have the authority. Horikita had no attachment to it. As long as they could rise to Class A, Matsushita could take the command of those fools in the class if she wanted.

Anyway, if Horikita wanted to give orders, she wouldn't care about Matsushita and would issue them directly. Of course, whether the class members would listen was another matter.

"Don't worry, I don't mind." Horikita's icy response might not have sounded pleasant, but Matsushita could feel its sincerity.

"That's great." Matsushita was completely relieved. If Horikita had any objections and they couldn't cooperate, it would truly be unfortunate and detrimental to Class D: "Let's do our best in this workplace special exam together."

When it came to discussing the special exam, Horikita had some points to discuss with Matsushita: "Putting aside your previous disguise, and I don't care about your personal goals."

"Do you have any strategies in mind for this special exam? Regarding increasing revenue?"

From a practical standpoint, both of them wanted to win the special exam. Even though Horikita's words might have sounded harsh, Matsushita had no objections and replied honestly: "No."

"It may seem like Chabashira-sensei provided a lot of information, but without actually visiting the fish farm, it's all meaningless talk."

"The most I can do is go back and remind everyone in the class chat to research eel farming online to familiarize themselves with the work. Meanwhile, I'll independently investigate the related industry chains and speculate on common issues faced by fish farms."

"What about you, Horikita-san? Any ideas?"

"Promotion." Horikita's response was sharp and to the point: "In the internet age, it's not like the old days when good wine didn't fear a deep alley. Now, no matter how good the wine, if the alley is too deep, no one will come to smell it."

"If the business is poorly managed, increase its promotion. Get more people to know about it, leading to more customers. Whether it's this project or any other, regardless of the difficulties, increased promotion will always result in more revenue."

Matsushita's eyes lit up. As expected, Horikita was quite capable. As long as one could tolerate her blunt, slightly sharp-tongued personality, she could get things done!

"I'll also research the relevant materials when I get back, but I might not come up with good ideas on my own. Can I ask for your help, Horikita-san?"

"No problem." The two quickly divided their tasks, with Horikita heading back to the dorm to prepare for the special exam, while Matsushita made her way to Palette Café.

While treating her close friends to coffee and snacks, Matsushita clasped her hands together in an apologetic gesture and explained the truth to them. She revealed that she had been hiding her abilities for a long time because she disliked being high-profile.

Shinohara and Satou immediately reassured her, saying it was fine and that they would still be good friends, regardless of this.

Although Karuizawa felt conflicted, she didn't let it show and held Matsushita's hand, promising to influence most of the girls in the class to support her.

Matsushita was particularly moved, feeling that her previous worries about being envied and ostracized by her friends were unnecessary. How could she have known?

Once they left the café, Karuizawa had already texted all the information to Yukio...

***

Enjoyed the chapters? Read 30 chapters ahead on Patreon

PATREON.COM/METARLN

200 power stones = 1 extra chapter