Chapter 4: Pawn's Betrayal

The day started as normal; I woke up, go ready for school, left my dormitory and met up with Akito, Harumi, and Kaori-san, and walked together to homeroom.

After school was normal as well. A few changes to the atmosphere but other than that everything was normal. Nothing interesting happened and nothing bad happened.

Pure tranquility.

Some would say it was too good to be true but I made sure that I wasn't dreaming. I thought that something bad would happen but it's probably just the universe being kind to me after all these years or it's just giving me peace now only to destroy it. It probably wanted to destroy this peace with the tutoring with Kaori-san later so I cherished the peace.

"It's 5 o'clock already. Kaori-chan and Tadashi-sama are going to need time so we'll part ways here." Harumi said as she looked at the time on her phone.

"We'll meet again tomorrow!" Kaori gave her farewells to Akito and Harumi as we parted ways in the lobby of the dormitory building. "Wouldn't it be weird for a girl to go to your room?"

"Yeah. Without a doubt but all that's happening is me tutoring you, nothing more nothing less." I replied to Kaori who felt her reputation was being threatened.

"Well if it's with you then there'll be a lot of gossips." Kaori melancholically said.

I found it illogical how people care more about other people's opinions than their own. It certainly lit a fire in me.

"Well, I guess there would be a lot. Then again, I do have the highest grades amongst the first-years so getting tutored by me would draw attention."

"You're not even being modest." Kaori giggled.

"There's no point hiding it." I said as I pushed the button which called the elevator.

As we waited for the elevator, there was an awkward silence that slowly killed us. I took out my phone and checked the time and put it back. I already knew the time but my body was acting on its own.

Ping! The elevator arrived at the floor and we instantly entered the elevator. I could break the ice but it wasn't something I would do. I waited for Kaori to act which didn't take long.

"So you studied abroad."

"Yeah. Until I was six. What about you?"

Normally I would just answer the question and end the conversation as quickly as I could but I wanted to make Kaori open up to me. That way I can completely control her.

"I lived in Japan all my life but I went abroad sometimes for holidays and sometimes for studying."

Kaori wasn't like the other students as her family wasn't rich or famous. She came from your average family but because of her intellect, she was able to enroll in this school. Being expelled from this school would destroy her mental health. After all, she was her family's only hope.

The elevator stopped at the fourth floor; the floor of Elites. I opened the door of my dormitory by tapping the keycard on the door handle which opened the door. I entered my dormitory while Kaori followed behind. She seemed to hesitate at the idea of entering my dormitory.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Isn't it weird if I entered your dorm? This is my first time entering a boy's room." Kaori replied.

"Why should it be weird? It's the first time a girl entered my room so we're pretty much equal here."

Kaori then proceeded to enter the room but she didn't look at me as she did. Considering we've known each other for only a day, Kaori seemed reluctant to accept being tutored.

"I'll get things ready you just sit down on the couch." I said as I got some books in one hand.

I then brought the books to where Kaori sat and placed them on the coffee table in front of her. Kaori scanned the books and fear appeared on her face.

"We're doing this?" Kaori said as she read the title of the books over and over again.

"It's simple once you get it."

"SIMPLE? THIS IS COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY LEVEL!" Kaori exclaimed. It seems that she struggled with high school level academics but I had to push her.

"There's high school level as well."

"How did you even hold these in one hand? These are at least a few hundred pages."

I guess I had above-average physical strength. I wondered how a few books proved to be a struggle to hold with one hand to people as Kaori had said.

"We'll start with the main subjects first but I'm sure you know that I can't help you with anything related to physical abilities."

"I don't care about that. I'm more of a study person than a sports one."

Finally. After many years I've finally found my type of person.

We revised many topics on Mathematics first. Kaori was surprisingly a quick learner. She has almost completed this semester's topics. Now Kaori was guaranteed to pass all there was left was the other subjects. Seeing as Kaori had almost completed a whole topic in one session, the other topics could be easy.

A few hours had passed and the sky darkened.

"Looks like we're done here." I said as I looked at the dark sky.

"It's getting pretty late as well." Kaori said as she stretched her arms out. "I'll get going then."

"Yeah."

Kaori got her things ready and put them in her bag. She then said her goodbyes and left. All she left with me was silence. I stood next to the couch looking at the door

So this was what they called feeling "lonely". I'd never felt this before but I didn't mind if something didn't feel right. It felt as if someone was missing even though I was the only one in the room. An alien emotion I've never felt had completely taken over my mind.

I looked at the stairs which led upstairs to my room. I debated whether I should sleep or do something else. Weighting the pros and cons of both sides I eventually made up my mind.

Sleep.

* * * * * *

As soon as I woke up I rubbed my eye which caused my vision to blur but it came back in an instant. I looked toward the clock and I saw the number "7:30" flashing in red.

I had more than an hour to eat breakfast and get ready for school and extra time. I got up from the soft bed which persuaded me to sleep again but I resisted my impulses and got up and went straight to the bathroom. I finished my business in the bathroom and headed downstairs to make my breakfast.

The pancakes filled my stomach with food and pleasure. Breakfast was one of my favorite ways of starting the day because I couldn't do it before. Before we just ate when we had the chance, that's if we ever found a chance.

I played some games and read some books then headed outside. I entered the elevator and found both Kaori and Akito waiting.

"Where's Harumi?" I asked.

"I thought she was with you." Akito replied.

"What? Why? Why would you think that? I woke up only an hour ago." It confused me why Akito would think Harumi would be with me.

"Just text her." Kaori suggested. Kaori then got out her phone and texted Harumi. There was no instant reply but after a few dozen seconds she replied. "She said to go on without her, she'll meet us there."

"I wonder why. She's always one of the earliest." Akito said.

Although we've known each other for almost a week it seemed as if we've known each other for months but there were no memorable moments. Those moments would be created but not at the moment while we're just getting to know each other. I had plans for all of them. Their potential certainly did stand out and I still needed to find out Kaori's secret.

We then proceeded to homeroom without Harumi. She didn't even show up for the first two lessons. On the third, she came but she was late. It wasn't normal for someone like Harumi to be that late. Even a normal person could tell something else was going on. Something she wasn't telling us.

The whole school day went past but no one asked Harumi why she was late. It looked like we all knew but we couldn't ask. If we didn't then it would become suspicious that we did know and for things to work out it'd be best if we act like we didn't know in the meantime.

As we were walking around the school, I gestured to Akito. Akito knew what I meant as I poked him with my elbow.

"So Harumi, how come you came late?" Akito was beaten by Kaori.

"What?" Harumi said, startled. "Oh, you mean this morning. Oh, that's because I had something to do. I won't tell you guys though; I'd like to stay mysterious!" Harumi replied as she smiled at Kaori.

Her smile almost seemed as if she was trying to fake it but she also seemed as if she was smiling to make Kaori stop worrying about her.

Great. Now I have two things to sort out. How many times will people delay my plans? This would work out better than what I initially had in mind but this would be more time-consuming. Fortunately, I was a patient man and whatever benefitted me was the choice I chose.

"Hey Tadashi-kun, let's do it in the library today." Kaori suggested.

"Okay but what have you that idea?" I asked her.

"Nothing really, it's just there are more resources in the library and I wanted to go there."

The library did indeed have more resources than I had in my dormitory. The library did have over a million books. Each floor had at least a million books and there were four floors. Around four million books resided inside a single library. A library with every genre of the book there is. There were whole sections for these as well. There were also rooms for studying.

* * * * * *

I stood outside of the library as I stared at it in awe. I couldn't wait to enter it and see what vast knowledge it contained but I couldn't, not without her.

Kaori was at least ten minutes late and she was the one that suggested we'd go to the library but she was somehow late.

I took out my phone from my pocket and sent her a message. She then replied instantly. For her to reply as soon as I sent her a text means that she isn't doing anything and she is on her way. I waited for Kaori as she did say she might be late. At this point, I thought of just leaving but to push my pawns to the edge of the board for promotion needed patience.

After a couple of minutes, Kaori arrived. She was running and when she finally reached me she was panting.

"You're fifteen minutes late."

"I…had…something to do." Kaori struggled to get out as she tried to get some air.

"I won't punish you now but next time don't make me wait."

"Now you're sounding like a teacher."

I ignored Kaori and proceeded into the library with Kaori following behind. The library was as they had said; colossal and abundant in books on almost everything. Everything from kindergarten to university levels could be found here.

We sat down in one of the study rooms and hundreds of thousands of books were at our disposal along with top-tier PCs. The school took every little thing that would benefit a student into account.

I tutored Kaori for around three hours until Kaori had almost given up.

"This is too long!" Kaori complained as she leaned back in her chair and looked up at the ceiling.

"It isn't easy for me as well." I said as I looked at the hopeless Kaori.

"Can I tell you something?" Kaori asked but she didn't wait for my reply. "Why are you friends with Ikeda Harumi?"

Kaori had said Harumi's full name and usually, in novels and manga, this wasn't a good sign.

"Did you know her?" I asked. I knew what the reply could be but I needed confirmation.

"Know her? She ruined my life."

I found that not believable because an airhead like Harumi couldn't ruin someone's life even by accident. She was also careful about how she treated people and observed their personalities first before choosing how to treat them. Even after all of that she still refused to treat someone negatively.

"How?"

"She did something unforgivable in middle school." Kaori avoided eye contact as she spoke which made it easier to read her. "You wouldn't believe what she did. She's a demon behind that angelic disguise."

"You wouldn't believe the demons I've met." I said in my head as Kaori insulted Harumi. "Let me guess, a boy you liked actually liked Harumi which caused you to feel jealous, after that you hated her and you joined this school and went to this class specifically to ruin, manipulate and bully her. You also asked me for help to tutor you so you can try to manipulate me and use me to also destroy Harumi. She got bullied in middle school by your "friends" but you made sure she didn't recognise you because you knew what high school she was going to you kept cautious. You thought about using Harumi instead of bullying her then when she trusted you more than anyone you would betray her. How petty are humans?" I then switched my attention from the books to Kaori's flabbergasted face. She stared at me in horror as I stared back.

"How did you-"

"If I told you a sliver of the things I can do you wouldn't dream of fighting me or anyone close to me but I would prefer you to find out my abilities yourself."

This was too easy. My plan for Kaori was set and all I had to do was wait. Wait for her to strike.

"Use whatever power you have right now."

"Well, I guess that's easier for me then. I have enough power to destroy you and Ikeda Harumi but I wouldn't expel you two because that'd be boring wouldn't it? Instead, I'll keep you two here and play with you until I'm bored."

"You have accepted the war."

"I guess I have. I won't show any mercy."

"I will."

With that, I left the room. I then stopped at the door.

"I've taught you more than enough to keep you in Class 1-A for a month or two so use those days wisely and conjure up a plan you think would beat me. Use all the power you have in that finger of yours because you're going to need that and more."

My pawn was on its way, moving one space at a time through the battlefield on its way to a promotion.

Go full-out Kaori even with the small army you have.