Volume 1: Chapter 6

After Yōsuke managed to calm the class with his charisma, I released a sigh that I didn't realize I had been holding. Students from other classes shot us annoyed or irritated glances because of the commotion our class had caused. Except for some people from Class B, who didn't seem worried about the disturbance.

When the class settled down, Yōsuke distributed the new topics we had to study. He had formed several study groups, with the academically best students distributed among those who were below average or were average students academically.

Once each group had the new topics, they began to study. Fortunately, I ended up in a group with Mii-chan. By the way, several girls from our class were staring at me, making it a bit uncomfortable. So, I did my best to ignore the glances or act oblivious.

In my group were Kushida, Satō, Inogashira, Maezono, Okitani, and Mii-chan. Five girls and two guys. To accommodate everyone, we had to join several tables. While we were studying, I kept mostly to myself. Nevertheless, I had to make my move soon.

After studying history, Japanese, and science, it was time for mathematics. The math problems we were working on were quite easy compared to the ones we did in college. I didn't know whether to answer all the exercises correctly or make some "accidental" mistakes.

I turned my head to my left to see Satō focused on her math exercise. Out of curiosity, I looked at what she was doing... ah, it seems she's struggling too... not very surprising since most people find some of these exercises challenging... I guess I can help her.

"Satō, you made a mistake here," I said, pointing to the part of the math problem that was incorrect. In mathematics, if you made a mistake in one part, the whole problem would be wrong. You had to check where the error was or do it again to compare the answers.

That's why, when you finish the math problem, you check if you did it right. If you were good at mental calculations, even better; if not, that's what calculators were for.

"Eh, really?" Satō looked again at the paper where she was solving the math problem.

"Yeah, let me help you," I said, moving a bit closer to explain what she was doing wrong. Fortunately, Satō was someone who understood my explanation easily... Back in school, I had some pretty clueless (no offense) classmates, and I had to turn numbers into apples and oranges for them to get it... I couldn't use pizza or hamburgers because they always made a joke every time I asked for the result... Ha, those times when homework wasn't so overwhelming, and you could sleep or play for more than 12 hours a day.

But well, once you get to college, the relaxation time ends, and you have to be really attentive to all subjects. While I was watching Satō do the math exercise again to make sure she had understood correctly, I felt something touch my shoulder... I was confused for a moment until I instantly realized it wasn't the touch of a hand but of a shoulder.

My gaze went directly to the cause, and I found that it was Satō's shoulder touching mine... that was unexpected. I looked at her face to find that she was blushing... I didn't understand for a moment, but then I realized we had gotten close enough to break personal space. I quickly averted my gaze from her face while feeling my cheeks burn.

How embarrassing! I didn't realize I had gotten too close to Satō. I just hoped she wasn't upset. I glanced at Satō again from the corner of my eye to confirm if she was upset. Apparently not... she seemed more nervous for some reason.

Hmm, that's suspicious.

This seemed like an anime event, where the protagonist never realizes the girl is in love because he's really dense. Anyway, I couldn't jump to conclusions... I knew a friend who rushed things and ended up looking like a fool.

This day was one of the funniest days of my life. I laughed so much that I almost fell to the ground for not paying attention to my surroundings. Anyway, I probably should make a joke, but as I didn't know what to say in this situation to tease her... I did something else instead.

"Hey, Satō, are you okay? Your face is a bit red; do you have a fever?" I asked as I approached her and put my hand on her forehead.

"I-I'm fine, Nakatomi-kun. Don't worry," Satō responded nervously as her face turned even redder. Cute.

I stepped away from her to give her the space she needed to calm down, then shrugged. "If you say so."

After that, I helped the other group members with the subject of mathematics. Fortunately, they were able to understand everything I explained. The only one I had to explain a couple of times on some problems was Okitani.

It wasn't planned to help my classmates with mathematics, but well, I guess I couldn't help it when the mistakes they made made me want to tear my hair out... cough Okitani cough... now the only subject left to review today was English.

I sighed in relief when we finished.

"Are you really good at math, Nakatomi-kun?" Kushida asked.

"I guess so," I shrugged while dismissing her praise. "Anyway, it's not a big deal. I think some students are much better than me."

"That's not true, Nakatomi-kun," Satō said. "When you were explaining, it was quite easy to understand."

"S-Satō-san is right, N-Nakatomi-kun," Inogashira expressed her opinion.

"True, I never would have thought you were good at math," Maezono commented. "Not that I thought you were bad at math, it's just that you don't talk much about yourself."

"I guess that's true..." I said timidly as I ran my hand through my neck.

"By the way, you look quite handsome with your new hairstyle," Maezono smiled.

"Ah, thanks... I did it so it wouldn't block my vision," I explained before looking at Mii-chan. "By the way, Mii-chan... uh, can I call you that, right?"

"Ah?" Mii-chan blinked in my direction. "Yes, that's fine. I have no problem with you calling me that," she reassured me.

I applauded before smiling, surprising the group. "Great!" If I was being honest, I didn't want to make her uncomfortable by calling her a nickname. "The subject you struggle with the most is English, right?" I asked, making Mii-chan nod. "Well, I have a doubt about some questions."

After explaining the doubt I had on some questions, most of which I had memorized without understanding anything I was learning, I found that the voices of Mii-chan and Inogashira were quite lovely.

We studied English for a good while. When we finished, we bid each other farewell. While I was packing my things into my bag, a voice interrupted me.

"Um... Nakatomi-Kun."

Kushida had approached to talk to me.

"Hmm, Kushida, is there something?" I said, stopping what I was doing before turning to look her in the eyes. I was a bit alert, but I didn't let it show. It was better to have Kushida as an ally than as an enemy.

"Well, I still don't have your contact information. As you know, I want to make friends with everyone in school," Kushida replied. "So, would it be okay if I have your contact? I want to become your friend." She responded with a smile.

My eyes unconsciously went to her huge breasts before looking her in the eyes again. "Sure, I have no problem with that," I said with a smile before taking out my cell phone.

Once we exchanged contact information, Kushida said goodbye before leaving the library. I frowned as I felt like I had forgotten something.

.

.

.

AHH!! How could I forget that? I had planned to find out if Mii-chan knew Spanish, but I never had the chance to ask her. A sigh of disappointment escaped my lips.

"That was a pretty depressing sigh," a voice commented next to me.

Instinctively, my body moved away from where the voice came from, and my body turned quickly to see the person who had startled me.

I took a deep breath to calm my heart, which was racing towards cardiac arrest.

"Don't appear like that again; you almost scared me to death, Matsushita," I exclaimed, putting a hand on my chest where my heart was located.

Matsushita smiled mischievously. "So, Nakatomi-kun is a scaredy-cat," she teased.

My eye twitched. "Hey, for your information, anyone would be scared if caught off guard," I told her. "So, did something happen?" I asked.

Matsushita shrugged before smiling. "I saw you standing there with an unfocused look, so I was curious about what you were thinking."

The smile that came to my face made Matsushita falter. "Oh, nothing... just thinking about a cute girl with chestnut hair and how much I liked her beautiful blue eyes," I told her.

Matsushita thought for a few minutes before realizing who I was talking about, making her face blush quite a bit.

I started laughing at her. Oh, sweet revenge.

"Hurry up if you don't want me to leave you behind," I commented as I began to move away from her. Now that I thought about it, I hadn't gotten Hasabe's number. Well, it doesn't really matter; I can get it another time or wait for her to give it to me.

When I left the library, I looked up at the sky. It was starting to get dark. The moment to confront Kushida was approaching. I just hope not to ruin anything.

I glanced over my shoulder to confirm that Matsushita was following me. I shook my head amused. I talked to Matsushita about some things in class before we started talking about mundane things. When we reached the dormitories, we got on the same elevator. Then, I stopped on the fourth floor and said goodbye to her.

When I entered my room, I bit my lip, thinking about what I would do on May 10th. I couldn't lie; I was a little nervous, but I knew I could do it quite well. So far, I've done well... I think. Anyway, there's no point in worrying at this moment.

With that in mind, I opened the door to my room. When was the last time I watched a meme video on YouTube? Man, I felt like watching some right now.

----------------------------

Time Skip

​It had been a day since I went to the library to inform Yōsuke about the topics Chabashira-sensei had given us. Incorrect topics.

Yesterday, Horikita's study group had been formed, but on the same day it was created, it was destroyed. The same commotion had happened as in the light novel; Horikita had insulted the three idiots and Okitani for their low intellectual coefficient... although Horikita was also an idiot, I didn't mean her academic intelligence but as a person. She had to understand that not everyone can grasp things quickly.

"Patience is a virtue" was a saying that had often been told to me. I remember when I was a child, I was too impatient, but gradually I gained patience.

Anyway, following what I was saying. Yesterday, when I went to see if the voice recorder had picked up anything, I was surprised to find out that it was still recording from the moment I had reached the rooftop stairs. I remembered that I hadn't checked its storage capacity, but I worried for nothing.

Man, it was a pain to sift through all the conversations the voice recorder had captured. I didn't take into account the people who had used the rooftop to eat while chatting... All the conversation from other students was useless information, nothing that would help the class.

When I finally found all of Kushida's curses, even the rape threat she gave to Ayanokōji, I sighed in relief knowing that it had indeed recorded the conversation. As I was about to edit the recorded audio, my damn phone abruptly turned off because the battery ran out.

Now that I thought about it, the frustrated scream I made was quite funny. The worst part was that I had to search again because I wasn't paying attention to which minute the audio started. In the end, I stayed up late again while waiting for the phone to charge, editing the audio, and waiting for the editing to finish. I also had to create an anonymous account to report the location to Kushida.

I could send her a message with my personal account since anonymity wouldn't matter once I revealed myself to Kushida, but I didn't want rumors to spread... with Kushida's curiosity, I'm sure she'll ask a lot of questions if I invite her to my room or to karaoke from a message.

The plan was to invite her to my room because she didn't know which room number was mine, and there would be many places where I could easily hide my voice recorder. But in the end, I decided to meet at the karaoke.

Classes had proceeded normally, and at the moment, I was heading towards the karaoke when a notification popped up on my phone.

[Transfer complete]

40,878 PPt → 65,878 PPt.

When I observed the notification, I smiled. I opened the chat app before typing and sending a message.

Contact: Chiaki Matsushita.

[Thanks, Matsushita... I promise I'll return them soon]

[Alright. Just promise me to explain what you needed them for] Chiaki Matsushita.

[Hmm. That's a secret; it would be embarrassing to explain it to a girl]

[You know, that doesn't inspire much confidence. I'm sure you're planning something] Chiaki Matsushita.

[I think you're overthinking it]

[Okay, but I want a favor from you] Chiaki Matsushita.

I sighed; this girl and her curiosity, seriously. I just hope her favor isn't asking me questions all day.

[Alright, but nothing strange]

[Okaaay] Chiaki Matsushita.

Once I read the last message, I deleted our conversation. Then, I deleted some private conversations I had with Yōsuke just in case. Once done, I closed all the open apps on my phone before locking it.

I stopped in front of the karaoke where I would have the meeting with Kushida. It was the moment of truth. If I don't play my cards well, I'll become the most hated person for Kushida. I was a bit nervous, but I had to get her on our side. If I turn her into an ally, it will be quite beneficial for Class D.

Having said that, I entered the karaoke.

I'm waiting nervously in the karaoke room. I've set my entire plan in motion, and the success or failure hinges on how well I can execute it. I check the time on my cellphone.

I sigh wearily as I begin to tap my fingers on the table in the room I've booked for the karaoke. After a few minutes of waiting, I hear the sound of someone knocking on the door.

I stand up as I open the only entrance to the room I've rented. When I open the door, the person I've been waiting for looks at me with surprise.

"Na-Nakatomi-Kun?"

Kushida is waiting in front of the door with a rather nervous look. I also notice that she's quite anxious to know what's going on, or rather, Kushida wants to confirm if I'm the right person she's meeting. After all, I had sent part of the recording as an anonymous message.

"Kushida, please come in. I've been waiting for you," I say as I step aside to let her in.

"Nakatomi-Kun, what are you—"

"NOW," I raise my voice a bit, making Kushida shiver. With gritted teeth and resignation, Kushida had no choice but to comply with my order. Once she entered the room, I closed the door with a click. Now, no one could enter unless I opened the door with the key, but I was sure no employee should interrupt.

As the room was soundproof, no one would hear what was happening inside. I turn around to look Kushida directly in the eyes.

"Hmm. I know you're a bit confused, Kushida, but before I tell you why I brought you here, though I believe you already have an idea, first, I want you to sit down."

"Are you the person who sent me the message, Nakatomi-kun?" Kushida asks with a tense smile. Even if she suspected it was me, she wanted to be completely sure first.

"That's correct. I know about you, Kushida. I know you're not that bubbly and perfectly kind girl everyone thinks you are. After all, I heard everything when you let out your true feelings that day on the rooftop," I respond as calmly as possible.

Break

My body tenses as I feel an ominous feeling coming from Kushida. Her eyes, briefly hidden for a second, turn to look at me. They are filled with darkness... anger and full of hatred.

Her crimson eyes meet my scarlet eyes. Kushida clenches her teeth in anger. We stare at each other for a few brief seconds in complete silence.

(Imagen)

My instincts warned me that I had just stepped into a situation that could easily spiral out of control. Despite my inner hesitation, I remained outwardly calm.

"You... you know everything, don't you?"

After a few moments of silence, Kushida finally addressed me with a voice entirely different from the one I had grown accustomed to hearing. It was deep and husky.

"Yes. I heard your true thoughts about Horikita, and I also heard how you threatened Ayanokōji-kun when he discovered your true feelings," I said sincerely.

To ensure that Kushida was completely sure who had control of the situation, I took out my phone and played the recorded audio.

Ah... so annoying... It's really irritating. It'd be fine if she died... I hate those arrogant girls who think they're cute. Why is she such a bitch? A girl like her can't teach me how to study. Ah... the worst. She really is the worst, the worst, the worst. Horikita is annoying, annoying, so annoying!

I held my phone with the speaker at full volume. I also kept my distance so that Kushida couldn't catch me off guard. Even if she suddenly tried to take my phone, I could react in time and force her to submit with a threat.

Kushida was listening to the recording in a state of shock. At this point, Kushida's mind must be quite confused. I'm sure she's wondering how I got the recording or why she didn't see me when she clearly could have easily discovered Ayanokōji.

"How..." she asked. "How? How? How? How... HOW?!" she shouted with barely contained frustration and rage. If looks could kill, I was sure I'd be dead by now.

"I don't have to answer you. Clearly, you're not in a position to ask questions," I told her.

"This makes no sense! I didn't see anyone else. Sure, Ayanokōji-kun might have discovered me due to my carelessness, but besides him, there shouldn't have been anyone in that place! I checked the whole area to make sure!"

"You clearly slipped up with Ayanokōji," I agreed with her. "You thought you would get away with it once you threatened him with telling the school he had violated you, but clearly, you were wrong," I mocked her. "You're a fool to think you could get away with it without being discovered by someone else."

"You bastard... What do you want?" She asked me directly after insulting me.

I shrugged. "I want an ally," I replied.

"Are you kidding? Right now, you must be thinking I'm a two-faced bitch, right?" Kushida spat. Hatred emanated from her eyes.

"Eh. Actually, I'm not thinking any of that. Whether you're a hypocrite or a fake saint, I couldn't care less," I replied.

"So, it was one of those, wasn't it? I accept you as you are. Are you trying to make me feel comfortable with you by thinking you'd be special to me just for knowing my truth? Is that what you're after? Ha, I bet you're in love with me or something?" Kushida mocked my possible motives.

Man, this girl has a lot of bottled-up anger that's been kept hidden. How much mental stress has she had to endure, forcing herself to do something she doesn't want to but gives meaning to her life?

"I already told you my motives. I just want an ally to help our class reach Class A. Our class won't be able to graduate to Class A at the moment; we lack a sense of cohesion and unity," I explained.

"Eh? What are you—"

"What I'm trying to say is that I need your help to graduate to Class A. Your influence on the boys is quite beneficial, so I need you to control them for me."

"Tch..." Kushida's gaze was as toxic as ever, but apart from hatred and anger, I could see there was anxiety, quite extreme anxiety.

I didn't need to push Kushida to know how far she would go to protect her secret. I knew she placed her image, reputation, and status above all else. So, it wouldn't be necessary to go to great lengths just to secure something I already knew.

"Tell me about your past," I ordered.

"What...?" Kushida nervously asked.

"I'll give you five seconds to tell me about your past. Specifically, about that incident," Kushida looked at me in shock. "What exactly happened? I want you to tell me everything. Without leaving out any details."

"How did you...?"

"I don't want you to lie to me either. Believe me, I'll know very well when you're lying to me. Don't test me," I said seriously, narrowing my eyes. "5..."

As Kushida realized I was serious and started a countdown, panic began to set in.

"4..."

"Wait, wait!"

"So? Are you going to tell me or not? I don't have all day to keep waiting."

"Tch... Fine! I'll tell you! If I tell you everything, you'll be satisfied, right?" Kushida responded with resentment.

"Yes. I just want to understand what really happened."

She looked at me resentfully before letting out a long sigh.

"Nakatomi-kun, is there something you're good at and can't risk losing against someone?" Kushida began with a question.

I furrowed my brow in thought. Was I really good at something? I wanted to say that mathematics was my best skill, my best quality, but I wasn't entirely sure. I knew some people were much better at math than I could ever beat. Of course, I'm better than average; I understand math much better than most people.

I could do large calculations mentally without needing a calculator or using paper as a support. The truth was I didn't have a skill that surpassed everyone else. There was always someone better, but did I care? Not really.

"I'm good at math... I guess," I replied hesitantly. I didn't consider Ayanokōji because he's on a level no one can reach. I don't think anyone in Class D could outperform me in the subject of mathematics. The reason I'm sure of this is that I have university-level knowledge that many of my classmates don't possess.

"I see. I can certainly believe that you were good at it. The way you taught us in the library proves it. You did all the calculations mentally and didn't take too long to solve the exercises. I don't think I could ever be as good as you are," Kushida said.

"I admit I'm good, but I'm not the best in the world. Many people surpass me by far."

"But I think you can understand what I'm feeling, right? Don't you think the best moment is when you feel a sense of worth that others can't have? It's like scoring the highest on a test or getting first place in a race, you get the idea. Aren't there those moments where someone gives you a look that says, 'so powerful, so cool, so cute'?"

I don't think I understand that feeling. Sure, I've been praised, but feel satisfaction? Never. Satisfaction never came from the praises people gave me. The feeling of satisfaction that reached my body was always when I knew I had overcome every challenge I set for myself. Achieving the goal I set for myself. Looking back and being able to say: I did it.

I never strove for others to praise me. I strived not to disappoint my parents or my family. I always knew how hard they worked to support us and move forward in our future. The reason I never cared about seeking attention from others as Kushida does is that humans are jealous creatures.

People naturally desire the approval of others. Working hard enough to deserve praise for achievements is essential for the functioning of society, but what happens when a person who works hard receives no praise? And, in return, they have to watch as others are praised for barely trying. Well, you don't have to be smart to put two and two together.

"I think I'm probably more dependent on those kinds of things than the average person. I really want to show off. I can't help but want to stand out and be praised. When these feelings are finally validated, I really feel how valuable I am and how amazing it is to be me," Kushida said.

"But you know you can't be the best at everything," I commented.

"Yes. I know my limits. I know that no matter how hard I try, I can't be number one in academics or sports. Being in second or third place might not satisfy my need, so I thought, 'Then I'll do something that no one else can imitate.' I realized I can be number one as long as I'm kinder and more intimate than anyone else."

But Kushida must know that what she's doing is not so simple. Even if you're kind or friendly, you can't get along with everyone. There are many types of people in this world, and there are always those people who aren't worth getting close to.

"Thanks to that, I became popular among boys and girls. They trusted me, and I felt pleasure in being trusted. Elementary school and junior high school were so much fun."

"I don't understand. Why force yourself to do something you don't want? Aren't you suffering because of it? If it were me, I don't think I could endure so much stress. I would reach a point where my mind would break."

"It's painful. Of course, I'm suffering. Every day, I accumulate so much stress that I feel like I'm going to go bald. I've pulled out my hair and vomited due to anxiety. But I can't let anyone see this side of me to maintain my 'kind side.' So, I've endured and endured and constantly resisted. But my heart reached its limit. It was impossible to keep letting it accumulate."

How much stress did she have to endure, and all for what? For the satisfaction of people trusting her? To be loved and praised by both boys and girls? I think she has a big problem with her narcissism. How many praises did Kushida have to receive for her narcissism to be so great? If she continues her life as she has been doing so far, I don't think it can last long. Does she want to live alone? Without trusting anyone?

"My blog was where I poured out my heart; it was the only place where I could open up about this pressure. Of course, everything was written anonymously, but they were all facts. I put all my usual stress there, and finally, I started to feel relieved. Thanks to my blog, I was able to sustain myself. I really felt happy when I received words of encouragement from people I didn't know... But one day, my blog was accidentally discovered by a classmate. Although I changed the names of the characters, it was impossible not to notice that the content was based on real events. It was inevitable that I ended up being hated for all the bad things I said about all my classmates."

"And so, the incident began," what I said was an affirmation on my part.

"Yes. The next day, the content of the blog had spread throughout the class, and I was severely criticized by everyone. I had helped them a lot, and yet everyone turned against me. It's selfish, isn't it? The boy who said he liked me. Actually, he pushed me. However, it was understandable, as I wrote in my blog that I was tired of his constant confessions and wanted him to die. The girl I comforted after she was dumped even kicked my desk. I had posted in detail about why she was dumped and mocked her. More than thirty students decided that I was their mortal enemy that day."

And the only way for Kushida to get out of that situation was...

"The only way for you to come out on top... was to reveal each and every unpleasant truth about everyone, right?" I said.

The situation Kushida would have gotten into was no joke. Having more than thirty angry students against you could lead to many humiliating situations for her. She even ran the risk of being physically harmed. But as the saying goes, "You reap what you sow."

"Exactly. I revealed all the secrets of my classmates. Who hated whom, or who thought someone was disgusting. I exposed truths I hadn't even written in my blog."

For many people, "The truth" may seem harmless and even good most of the time, but I knew it very well. "The truth" was something you could only get through trust. "The truth" can also be used to hurt people, and it depends on how much trust you have in that person. The more trust, the greater the effect of being hurt. Depending on how a person uses "The truth," chaos can be a possible result.

"At that moment, my classmates stopped being angry with me and started hating each other. Boys fought with punches, girls pulled each other's hair and pushed. The whole class descended into chaos. It was truly incredible... because of everything I exposed, the class couldn't function. The school reprimanded me, but my blog was anonymous, and technically all I did was tell the truth to my classmates," Kushida spoke with indifference, but every word she uttered had weight.

"It was my mistake to use the internet to vent my feelings. Everything you put there is saved forever. That's why I stopped writing blogs. Now, I vent by saying out loud what's on my mind when I'm alone."

"Like you did yesterday, right?" I said.

"Yes, I admit I was careless. I never thought Ayanokōji-kun would follow me to the rooftop, but I still don't understand how you managed to record me, let alone listen without me noticing. But I can't deny the evidence," Kushida shrugged.

"You didn't lie to me about anything, did you?" I asked. I knew she hadn't, but it was a response that would mentally pressure her.

"What? I didn't! Are you kidding me?! You said you'd know when I'm lying. You know I didn't!" Kushida responded in a panic.

Her concern stemmed from hopelessness, not lies. She told me everything sincerely. Anyway, since I knew her past beforehand, I could quickly sense when Kushida was lying to me.

"Have you ever considered changing as a person?" I asked.

"This is what makes my life worthwhile. I love being respected and noticed by everyone. When people tell me secrets that are only confessed to me, I feel something beyond my wildest imagination," Kushida said, smiling.

Knowing the anxiety, suffering, shame, or hope that others hold inside their own hearts. It was Kushida's forbidden fruit.

"It's a boring past, right? But for me, it's everything." The smile on Kushida's face disappeared, having already revealed her past.

"I don't think it's boring," I shrugged. "Every person is different with their likes and dislikes. You have quite a determination; I can give you that. Not many people can achieve what you're doing."

Kushida narrowed her eyes, looking at me suspiciously.

"You're a ticking time bomb, Kushida. Right now, you're quite harmless because school has just started. But once you start accumulating everyone's secrets, you can practically do the same thing you did back then. In other words, you'll have the whole class as hostages. You must have thought about using 'The truth' to threaten me, right?"

"Tch... So what? Are you going to expose me now so everyone can hide their secrets from me?" Kushida was displeased that I knew her plan to blackmail me.

"I think I should if I get rid of you right now. You wouldn't be a problem for our class in the future," I replied.

"Wait... you're serious?" Kushida panicked. "You can't, you need me, right? I thought you said you needed my help to improve class cohesion."

"That was my initial plan. True. But honestly, the most logical plan for this problem is if I get rid of you. Kushida, letting you accumulate the secrets of other people would be quite dangerous. Once you have the bomb ready and release it, the class will descend into total chaos, like in your old school."

"I... Damn it." Kushida's eyes began to fill with tears. It seemed she was about to break because I had cornered her against the wall and had a sword pointed at her throat. I could easily destroy her at this moment, but...

"Tell me, Kushida. How do you plan to get out of this situation? I know everything about you, but you know nothing about me. Did you think I'd let you accumulate the secrets of our entire class? Did you think I'd let a walking bomb go?" I taunted her.

Kushida didn't say a word. I approached Kushida and put a hand on her shoulder, making her shudder. I leaned in so that my lips were close to her ear.

"Kushida," I sang softly and mockingly. "Why don't you tell me how you're going to fix your situation? Or did the cat get your tongue?" The last words I said in a chilling tone.

"I... Damn it... Please, just tell me what the hell you want and get this over with already..." Kushida's voice came out as a whisper. If I weren't so close to her, I wouldn't have heard it. Damn, I'm starting to feel bad for doing this.

With a sigh, I stepped away from her. Kushida gave me a confused look as she waited for my response. I ignored her as I sat on the couch in the room. I told Kushida to sit, but she ignored me. I can't blame her for that.

"I might regret it later, but I won't expose you. I'll stay quiet. If I reveal your secret, it wouldn't just ruin your life but also your reason for being," I explained. "Besides, I think you can help me with the class, even if there's a risk involved."

If I exposed the secret, Kushida would have to endure being hated by the whole class or choose to leave school. There was even a risk that her past would be leaked to the public. That would make society repudiate someone like her, ruining her future.

I don't think I can do that... even if she didn't know it. This isn't a dream where she can believe me to be God. This was my new life. The real world.

"The only thing I ask in return is for you to be my ally. We can even become great friends if you allow me. All you have to do is trust me."

"Trust you? Ha..." Kushida wiped away the tears that came from her eyes. "Well, I really don't have another choice, do I?"

"I just want to ask you one more thing."

"What? I thought we were done with this?" Kushida was clearly annoyed. Unfortunately, she had no choice but to answer all my questions.

"I'm sure you're wondering how I came to suspect you, right? How I could suspect that Kushida Kikyō wasn't the bubbly and super kind person that people think they know. How did I find out about the incident?"

"I have no idea how you found out about my past, let alone that incident. I don't remember you being in junior high school. Believe me, I knew everyone who went to my old school, even the people who tried to avoid me," Kushida replied with confusion and irritation. "I can only think of one person who could have told you about it, but I never saw you talk to her."

"Her? Do you mean Horikita?" I replied.

"Like... Don't tell me that..." Kushida said in surprise.

"No, I've never talked to Horikita, but for some reason, you were quite persistent in trying to make me friends with her. Even though Horikita clearly didn't want anything to do with you," I dismissed her possible suspicions that Kushida could conclude. "It didn't take me long to figure out why, you know? You clearly want to be friends with Horikita Suzune because she went to your old school, and she might know about that incident, right?"

"That... that doesn't make sense. If Horikita-san didn't tell you anything, then... how could you know about the incident?"

"I don't think you're in a position to make demands, Kushida," I replied in a flat tone. "How did I find out? It's not important. What matters now is what we're going to do so that our class can reach Class A."

"Tch... Screw you."

"Anyway, going back to the question I really wanted to ask," I paused for a moment to create suspense. "Do you hate Horikita and Ayanokōji?"

"Eh? Of course, I do. That bitch might know about my past; that's why she's been hostile from the start. Every time I try to befriend Horikita-san, she coldly rejects me, and as for Ayanokōji-kun, he's just an unfortunate guy who found out about my true nature. I hate simple and melancholic guys like him," Kushida responded instantly.

"I see. I guess you hate me too, don't you? Because I'm aware of everything."

"Damn right. You threatened to reveal my secrets to the whole school. You even said you were going to get rid of me. I hate you more than anyone in this school."

"Even more than Horikita?" I asked.

"Yes. Even more than her," Kushida didn't hesitate to respond, letting me know just how much she despised me.

I sighed wearily. "Is there any way for you not to hate me? For you and me to be allies?"

"What do you think?" Kushida scoffed.

"I see," I said quietly.

Had peace never been an option? Well, he who risks nothing gains nothing.

"Fine, this is what we'll do. I won't tell anyone your secrets, and I'll show you my sincerity by deleting the voice recording. I'll even help you keep your secret safe from others," I explained.

"You'll delete it?" Kushida perked up a bit. "Don't take me for a fool, Nakatomi-kun. You must have made plenty of backups."

"It's pretty obvious you have doubts about what I'm saying. That's why I'll hand you my phone so you can see that I haven't made any backup of the recording. You can even delete it yourself to make sure. I also don't have a computer because they cost too much. For more peace of mind, I can let you check my room."

"Are you serious?" Kushida continued to look at me skeptically. The benefits of the deal were just too many to be considered true.

"Yes, I am," I said as I handed her my phone for her to inspect. "Even if you still have doubts, you have no choice but to comply," I told her.

Kushida accepted my unlocked cell phone to inspect it. She spent quite a while checking my phone to make sure there were no copies.

"Eh? What's this... Are these exam papers?"

Eh? Was she going through my messages?... I thought... Oh, shit!

Don't panic. Think of a way to use this to your advantage.

"Hmm. I guess you mean the exams I got from our seniors, right?"

I approached Kushida again to look at the open chat on my phone. It was a combined file with all the exams for each quarter of the first year. Kushida was reading the exam questions and was surprised when she realized that some questions were the same as those in the practice test.

"You... How did you get this? This is cheating, isn't it? If the school finds out about this, you could be punished," Kushida looked into my eyes, seeking an answer.

"It's not. It's entirely valid. Otherwise, they would have made a rule prohibiting us from getting exams from higher grades to study. Besides, I didn't get it for free, you know. I spent 30,000 points just to get those exams."

I had spent 25,000 points, but she didn't need to know about that. I had said 30,000 because I spent 5,000 on getting answers from Senpai when I met Yōsuke in the cafeteria.

"You bought the exams? Looking at the date when they sent you the message, barely a week had passed since we entered school. How did you know there would be exams back then? Sensei hadn't announced anything at all," she asked.

"At first, I didn't know, but I found out by manipulating a second-year student. It was quite stupid; he didn't even realize I had extracted information about the school system from him. Once I found out there would be a surprise exam, I decided to buy the exams that higher-grade students had done when they were in their first year."

"Eh? But how did you know it was allowed to buy exam answers from other students?"

"Points transfer is normal in this school," I replied.

"Eh?"

Seeing Kushida's confused look, I decided to step back a bit to clarify some things.

"For you to understand better, in that week, I suspected the school system. In my opinion, it was quite illogical that we were given 100,000 points on the first of every month without the school asking for anything in return. But what confirmed I suspected that seniors were buying the free food. Why would they buy free food known for its tastelessness when we are spoiled by the school? One might say they spent all their points, which is a pretty dumb thought, considering they should already have a sense of abstinence. I also don't think it's because they want to save points to buy something."

I shrugged casually. I could see that Kushida was looking at me with some amazement at what I was saying. She knows nothing about me. I took this opportunity to show her that I'm not a stupid person and that it would be better not to mess with me. Even though she would hate me, she couldn't deny that an alliance with me would be more beneficial for her than making me her mortal enemy.

"If they were really saving points, then there would be no need to eat that crap. They should make their own lunch or buy those cheap sandwiches. Believe me, the sandwiches taste much better than the free cafeteria food." I shuddered at the memory of the disgusting taste of the vegetables. I was moments away from vomiting.

"But if you knew all that, why didn't you warn the class about it? If you had told your suspicions to the classes from the beginning, we could have avoided losing so many points," Kushida asked me.

"Do you think the idiots in our class would believe my word?" A snort escaped my lips as if I had heard a joke and barely restrained myself from laughing. "They would never believe me. The only people they would take the word of are Hirata or you, Kushida."

Kushida frowned thoughtfully.

"That's why I befriended Hirata and turned him into my ally. Once I gained his trust, I explained all my insecurities about the school to him and asked him to keep quiet about it."

Kushida looked at me incredulously. "That means you manipulated Hirata-kun. To help the class. If it weren't for you, we would have lost all our points. I always knew there was something weird about you, Nakatomi-kun, but I never bothered to talk to you because I was focused on becoming friends with Horikita-san."

"Eh? I wouldn't say I manipulated him. Well, maybe a little, I can't deny it. But the reason I told him about the school's trap is because I trusted him."

"Trust? What are you...?" Kushida looked at me, confused.

That's right, I trusted Yōsuke, but at the same time, I didn't trust Yōsuke. That was the answer, the reason I had risked telling him the truth. I trusted Yōsuke to help the class, but I didn't trust Yōsuke to let him know about many things because of his naivety.

"Anyway, I answered your question even though there was no need for it," I said before Kushida could speak. "Did you delete the recording? Are you satisfied now?"

"I... I guess so," she replied.

I retrieved my phone and opened the app to show her how many points I had. "As you can see, these are my total points balance." I showed her my balance so that she wouldn't suspect that I had bought a hard drive.

Kushida looked at my balance before taking a deep breath and nodding.

"By the way, what will you do about Horikita and Ayanokōji? They know about my past," Kushida asked anxiously.

"Are you really sure that Horikita knows the truth about your past or that incident? Horikita is hostile to everyone around her. She has a superiority complex that makes her see others as inferior to her. She has a huge ego for a rather foolish girl who couldn't even grasp the truth about the school. Even when Hirata told them the truth, she thought she wouldn't be affected because she was a smart and exemplary student." I mocked as I made air quotes in the last words.

Kushida chuckled at my tone.

"But still! Even if what you say is true, I can't be satisfied with leaving Horikita!... Plus, Ayanokōji already knows my secret!" Kushida's concern was justified. After all, there's no guarantee they won't use their knowledge against her in the future.

"I don't think Ayanokōji cares about you. In fact, I can bet he's not even interested in knowing your true self. It doesn't make sense to worry about him. As for Horikita, I don't think she cares. Horikita doesn't care about anything that doesn't involve her, but if she does something that endangers your secret, I'll do everything I can to expel her myself or at least force her to sign a gag order contract."

After thinking for a moment, Kushida nodded.

"Fine... Make sure to expel her if she does anything suspicious."

"Yes. I will."

At least she hadn't asked me to promise anything about Ayanokōji. The last thing I wanted was to disturb his peaceful life. I could never win against him. The only way I could win against Ayanokōji would be by losing.

"What are you going to do with my plan then? I can keep following your demands right now, but once I have enough secrets at my disposal, I can still destroy the class in the future," Kushida asked with a serious expression.

"Nothing."

What? Don't you have some kind of contingency plan against my potential betrayal?"

"No. Once you drop the bomb, it's over for our class, but I don't care," I replied. "I don't have enough allies to fix the chaos you'll cause once you have enough secrets from our class. Plus, if you try to expel me, I'll do everything I can to defend myself," I told her.

"Wait... Are you serious? You have no plan for when I decide to betray you?" Kushida was confused by my responses. "Wouldn't it be easier to expose me right now? Once I decide to betray, everyone loses, including you," Kushida explained.

"You're right, and it'll be my fault for trusting you," I looked directly into Kushida's eyes.

"Trust me, huh?" Kushida scoffed at herself.

"But even if the class is destroyed and there's no way to fix it, that doesn't mean I've lost."

"I don't understand... Are you bluffing, right?" Kushida looked at me, searching for any lies about me.

"No. The bomb is inevitable once you have enough secrets to destroy the class, but will you have enough secrets to ruin other classes? I don't think the same trick will work twice in this school."

"What are you trying to say?" Kushida couldn't see my point of view.

"What I'm saying is that I have the option to change classes," I replied.

"Wait... You're saying that... but that's impossible, no one can reach that amount," Kushida looked at me with disbelief. I could also feel her frustration returning.

"Maybe for many people, it might be impossible," I told her before giving her a very serious look. "But it's not for me."

"You... You're not serious, are you?"

I didn't answer her. I let her draw her own conclusions.

"Damn it. You're totally serious," Kushida gritted her teeth in frustration.

"Before we finish, Kushida. I want to ask you one last question. Do you trust me?"

"I..."

"I guess you still don't trust me," I squinted at Kushida. "Hmm, what if I tell you something about my life? I know almost everything about you, but you know nothing about me. If I tell you something about me, will I gain some of your trust?" I asked.

"Well... I think it would be fair for you to tell me. I told you everything about my past. You should at least know something about yours... What is it?" Kushida asked as she gave me a curious look.

"First, I want to tell you that I'm telling you this because I really want us to be allies. I'm not lying about that. I want both of us to help each other and trust each other," I explained my reasons for telling her something about me.

I wasn't going to tell her the whole story of my life because many people would find it boring and uninteresting, but what about the life I had in this world? Well, I had created a cover story in case someone asked me about my past.

"I'm an orphan," I said a lie calmly. I knew it was cliche, but well, it might as well be, as I don't entirely know my situation.

I didn't know if this character named Nakatomi Hiroki had relatives or was just created and arranged by the people who sent me to this world. But even if he had a family, I had no way of contacting anyone, and I would refuse to accept unknown people as my new family.

I'd rather pretend I had an accident and say I had amnesia than replace my old family. Plus, I'd soon be old enough to support myself. I didn't know what age is required to be an adult, but in most countries, the legal age is 18.

"WHAT?" Kushida shouted in surprise.

"I never met my parents," I said, shrugging as if I were accustomed to people being surprised by this fact. "I lived in an orphanage with other children. I was far away from Tokyo and the cities, so before I came to school I had to move recently so I could come to this school."

Kushida narrowed her eyes, looking suspicious.

I raised my hands in defense "Hey don't look at me like that, Kushida. You're the one who wanted to know about my past. But believe me despite all the hardships I had to go through in the orphanage. I never came to hate the way I lived. If it wasn't for my past, then I wouldn't be the person I am now," I explained.

"Tch... don't think that just because you tell me about this, I'll stop planning to expel you," Kushida looked away while biting her lip.

"I didn't tell you about my past for you to pity me," I shrugged, dismissing her threat. "Anyway, I won't let you expel me. I'll do everything possible to graduate from this school. If someone were to expel me... well, it would be quite disastrous for my life. I wouldn't have anywhere to go, basically, I'd be living on the streets. That's why I can't be expelled, no matter what method I have to use to save myself."

I told her the truth. If I were expelled from school, I wouldn't have another place to go. I wouldn't have money to pay for a hotel room, so I'd end up living on the streets until I found a way to earn money. Fortunately, I could take all the things I had bought with my private points with me. I had read it in the school manual, so I would have some things I could sell to sustain myself for a while.

"So, Kushida, did I gain some of your trust, or was it all a waste of time on my part?"

I looked at Kushida, who was in complete silence. I think she was pondering over the "past" I had created as a cover story that I had to adapt to.

"I... well, I'll trust you! Okay! Are you happy now?" Kushida asked me.

I gave her a tired smile. "Yes. I appreciate you putting your trust in me, and as I said before, I'll protect you as long as you help me. I won't let anyone else know about your true nature."

Kushida sighed wearily as she sat on the karaoke couch. "So, what do you plan to do now? The trimester exams are coming up. Do you have a plan for that?"

"I have a plan but don't worry. I have everything under control," I explained.

"So, what is it? Are you going to distribute the old answers from the previous exams you bought?" Kushida asked me. She was pretty sharp, so she could arrive at various conclusions.

"No. Handing out answers to the old exams would be counterproductive for the plan I'm making. Also, if I give copies to our classmates, their motivation to study would be lost. Wasn't that the reason why Horikita's study group fell apart so quickly?"

"But wouldn't it be better if you did give them out? I mean, I think if everyone makes an effort to memorize the answers, then no one would fail," Kushida said.

"I'm not aiming for us to get the best grades, Kushida. I'm trying to prevent anyone in our class from being expelled. The rest would just be greed on our part," I told her. "Also, if people lose motivation to study, then we would be affected in the long run. People like Ike or Yamauchi would get used to getting copies of the answers that would be in the exams. But what if there's a special exam where they can't get the answers?"

"Then that would affect our class. I think I'm starting to understand your point. You're quite intelligent, Nakatomi-kun. I'll admit I'm quite impressed," Kushida said reluctantly.

"Ara," I gave her a big shit-eating grin. "Don't tell me your heart is starting to warm up, Kushida-san," I teased.

"Go to hell," despite Kushida insulting me, I could see her cheeks had slightly flushed. I laughed.

"What? Stop laughing, idiot, or I'll have to hit you," Kushida threatened.

"Sorry, sorry," I apologized to her, then pretended to cough to go back to my "serious mode." I stared at Kushida for a few moments.

"What are you looking at?" Kushida squinted her eyes.

"It's nothing." When Kushida gave me a flat look, I decided it was best not to make her angry. "It's just that... you seem less tense, you know? Like something has been lifted off your shoulders."

"Tch... Whatever, I'll leave now. It's getting late." Kushida said coldly. She stood up from the couch and picked up her bag. I grabbed her wrist before she could reach the door.

"Kushida."

"Now what?" Kushida gave me an annoyed look.

"You know, whenever you want to express your feelings again. Come to me. I'll listen, and I'll help you relieve all the stress you accumulate," I told her.

My eyes widened slightly as my face grimaced. I instinctively let go of Kushida as I clutched my abdomen. Kushida had punched me with all her strength.

"Gah," I tried to catch my breath. "What was that for? Did I do something wrong?"

"If it hadn't been for your deadpan tone, I would have thought you were trying to flirt with me," Kushida said.

"What? I swear I wasn't planning to. It would be dangerous if you express your feelings on the rooftop again. Someone could hear you," I tried to express myself quickly, making me stutter at first.

"Next time, don't you dare record me, or I'll kill you for real," Kushida threatened.

"Hai," Women sometimes were scary. I'd advise men. Never make a woman angry. You always lose with them. Even if we men are right.

"Goodbye, Nakatomi-kun," Kushida looked away as she left through the door.

Suddenly, I remembered something and started to follow her.

"Wait, Kushida. I thought you were going to check my room so you would be completely satisfied. Besides, I can give you some copies of the answers to the old exams; I have some leftovers," I said.

Kushida sighed. "Fine, but make it quick."

I simply nodded. So, both of us started heading towards the dormitories.

.

.

.

I said goodbye to Kushida as she left my room. To ease her concerns about our relationship, I let Kushida check for anything suspicious in my room. Once she verified everything, I handed her the answers to the old exams so she could study. I also warned her not to get too confident just because she had the answers.

Kushida had rolled her eyes in response, telling me that she wouldn't get overconfident.

I closed the door to my room before letting out a deep sigh.

Bump, bump, Bump, bump, Bump, bump, Bump, bump

I could feel my heart beating quite fast. I was really nervous about what I was doing. It was normal for someone like me to be afraid of messing everything up. It was like an exhibition you had to prepare for, hoping that everything would go well.

Bump, bump, Bump, bump, Bump, bump.

Nerves in people were something considered normal, especially in situations like these, where a single mistake could be quite fatal for my plan. If Kushida saw that I wasn't a sufficient threat to her, she wouldn't have even considered forming an alliance with me.

Bump, bump, Bump, bump.

At least, I was one of those people who could stay calm even under pressure, but once I completed my goal, that's when I started to calm down. Kushida wasn't someone I could underestimate, even if I knew what would happen in the future.

Bump, bump

Once my heartbeats returned to normal.

I smiled.

Kushida had fallen completely into my trap. Did she think that once she deleted the recordings from the rooftop, she would be completely free? I don't think so.

I reached into my shirt and pulled out the voice recorder, playing the new recording I had saved.

This was my contingency plan in case Kushida tried to betray me. Why had I asked her to tell me about her past when I knew about it by heart due to my knowledge of the novel? Well, the answer is simple: I now had recordings of Kushida's entire life. If she tried to betray me...

Kushida would regret it.