Idiots

One month later...

"What a bunch of Idiots you all are."

Everyone in the looked puzzled by Sae's statement. Yuto sighed and looked out the window as he thought, 'Just as I suspected..'

Sae meticulously recounted a series of misbehaviors from the past month, each one a testament to their lack of discipline. With a sense of solemnity, she revealed how these actions had resulted in the loss of all their class points.

Ayanokoji and Yuto were still indifferent about the announcement, while Koenji was smirking as usual. The same could not be said for the others, who's faces only grew darker and darker as Sae was explaining about class points.

She concluded her speech with a final, crushing blow: "The points assigned to you this month amount to zero."

Everyone was in dismay.

Sae paused to look at there expressions and pulled out a chart and said, "Look at these garbage scores! If any of you get below failing grade from the next term. Prepare to be expelled!"

Everyone's eyes widened in shock. However, Horikita was shocked for a whole different reason. She stared at the section which showed 'Kazuki Yuto' and beside the name was his score, '41'. 

She refused to accept that someone who amassed 3.8 million points on his second day at school barely scraped by with just one mark above failing. Horikita and Ayanokoji shared a mutual thought.

"He's definitely holding back."

______________________________

As everyone reveled in their swimming class, Ayanokoji and Horikita sat at the poolside, clad in their swimming attire but devoid of interest in joining the aquatic activity.

As they discussed strategies for earning class points, Yuto suddenly appeared out of nowhere, still dressed in his regular uniform. "Sup!" he greeted casually.

Horikita, puzzled by his sudden appearance, asked, "What do you want?"

"How cold! I was about to come talk with my two friends!"

Horikita sighed and was about to say something when, "Oh Horikita-san, Kazuki-kun! Why don't swim with us?" Kushida chimed in. Horkita near-instantly refused causing Kushida to look at Yuto with a hopeful expression.

"You see, I am actually scared of swimming, haha.." Yuto chuckled. Kei, one of the few other girls that came with Kushida joined the conversation. "What are you a child? How do you not know how to swim?" she teased with a grin.

Yuto rubbed the back of his head with his palm and let out a wry chuckle. "I suppose you could call it childhood trauma." he remarked, prompting the bunch to not inquire further.

A few minutes later, Hirata attempted to capture the attention of several classmates, intending to convey the dire situation of the class. However, his efforts fell flat when Sudo shouted "Leave me out of this!", resulting in a resounding failure. "Our class is comprised of a bunch of retards huh?" Yuto finally told to which Horikita and Ayanokoji whole-heartedly agreed.

____________________________

"How can you always afford the most expensive lunch set!?" Ike screamed at Yuto, who at this point, was tried of Ike's and Yamauchi's antics. Ike for one was way better than Yamauchi as he still has a humane side of him, while Yamauchi was just not a likable guy in Yuto's eyes. "I have money I guess" Yuto shrugged which caused the Yamauchi to smile.

"Hey, hey Kazuki, we are friends right? Can you buy me a game pleaseeeee, it's only 20,000." 

"No we aren't." 

Yamauchi frowned at Yuto's reply which caused Ike to start laughing at Yamauchi before saying, "Hey Kazu-chan, I lent you that my game remember, how about you treat me lunch today?"

A tick manifested on Yuto's forehead. The sole reason he borrowed that game was to feign normalcy, to blend in as a guy with genuine interests. He was just a empty shell of sorts after all.

His childhood completely devoided him of any such interests, his only focus was to bring money to the table after all, his biological father was drunk half the time and his biological mother was 'sick'. Perhaps that's where he gets his obsession for money came from.

"Ah! I seem to have a stomach ache. I'll go to the infirmary today! Maybe I'll treat you next time, Ike-kun!" Yuto remarked with a wry smile, holding his stomach with both his hands, and dashed out the class, not giving anytime for Ike to comment anything.

As Yuto left the class, he sighed, looks like I can't go to the cafeteria anymore. He made his way to a street vendor and bought himself a burrito.

With his meal in hand, he wandered towards the beach. There, he stood on the ever-so still sand, his gaze fixed blankly upon the sea. The rhythmic sound of crashing waves enveloped him, accompanied by the gentle caress of ocean breezes against his skin.

"Quite pleasant, isn't it? Fufufu.."

"That it is..."

"Wait what!" snapping himself back from his reverie. He looked to his side and saw a short white-haired girl wearing a black beret. She was also holding a stick of sorts in her hand while staring at the sea aswell. Yuto smiled and said, "I didn't notice that someone was beside me." 

"That's the beauty of being immersed into somthing, Kazuki Yuto-kun. Fufu.."

"I'm suprised you know my name, Child-san" Yuto said before taking a bite from his burrito.

The girl turned to Yuto with a smirk and calmly said, "Arisu Sakayanagi."

Yuto eyes narrowed. "It's quite an honor to find myself in the company of  of Class 1-A's leader."

"You yourself aren't far behind in popularity Kazuki-kun."

"Aren't you supposed to be some kind of tyrant? You seem pretty amiable to me"

She chuckled softly, replying, "I don't know about that..."

_______________________________ 

Yuto was on his way to the dorms when the sound of his ringing phone interrupted the quiet stroll. His eyes widened when he saw that it was a call from Horikita! His fingers trembled, threatening to drop the phone, but eventually, he mustered the resolve to answer the call. 

[Hello, Kazuki-kun?]

"What is it?" Yuto answered, trying to act calm.

[I'll get to the point, I'm making a study group and I need you to join it]

Kazuki frowned at the idea of studying with Horikita with a bunch of other guys and said, "You should already know that I'm holding back right? I have no reason join your group." 

[I do know that, but as I am only inviting people who are in the verge of failing, it you be suspicious not to invite you.]

"Ripple effect eh?"

[Yes.]

"Alright, I will but I have a condition."

[*sigh* Go on, ask.]

"Can I call you by your first name?" Yuto finally said it! He was holding that in for so long. He felt as if, tonnes of rocks where just liberated from him.

[...]

On the other side of the phone, Horikita was shocked my such a absurd request! 'His shamelessness really has no bounds!' she thought as she gritted her teeth solemly and obliged.

[Yay! I shall join tommorrow, Suzune-chan!]