Coffee and Conspiracies

It had been two weeks since the mixed camp ended with my victory. As I mentioned before, it was no surprise that my team won; after analyzing each of their performances, I only had to help them maximize their output. There was no need to devise elaborate strategies against the other classes; I just had to enhance the best in each of them. I am quite satisfied with the final result, although there is always room for improvement.

It was Saturday, and I was in a café, accompanied by Nazuna and Fuka. I had promised to spend time with them, as it had been a long time since we had talked or seen each other. Between the responsibilities of being the leader of my class and the challenges we faced at school, the time for friends had drastically reduced.

—I'm glad you finally decided to spend time with us, Kayden. You've completely abandoned us —Nazuna said, her tone oscillating between reproach and joking, but with a hint of real sadness.

—I'm sorry, Nazuna —I apologized, shrugging—. But I'm the leader of my class; you know how it is. There are too many matters to attend to.

—Yeah, I understand. But at least you could reply to my messages once in a while —she replied with a pout—. It hurts that my favorite junior is ignoring me like this.

I let out a light laugh.

—Okay, I'll see what I can do about that. I don't promise miracles, but I'll try.

Nazuna nodded, satisfied with my response, but then quickly changed the subject, as if she had been waiting for the right moment to touch on a more serious topic.

—By the way, Fuka told me that you were the one responsible for Miyabi's plan failing at the camp.

—Yeah, well —I admitted, taking a sip of my coffee before continuing—, let's just say I have unfinished business with Nagumo.

—Does that have to do with Honami-chan? —Nazuna asked, raising an eyebrow as she studied me with curiosity.

I looked at her, surprised. I didn't expect her to deduce it so quickly.

—How did you know? —I inquired.

—Well, Honami-chan has been avoiding being alone with Nagumo for a while. She always finds some excuse not to stay with him when they're in the student council —Nazuna explained, crossing her arms. She seemed more worried than she let on.

I sighed and nodded. It was true; Honami had been distancing herself from Nagumo, and I knew exactly why.

—That's right. Nagumo has been bothering Honami, and of course, I'm not going to let that situation go unpunished —I replied, with a clear determination in my voice.

Nazuna watched me silently for a moment before smiling slightly.

—You're very protective of Honami-chan, aren't you? —she said with a mischievous smile—. Do you like her?

The question took me by surprise, but I kept my composure.

—I'm protective of everyone I care about —I answered, skillfully dodging the romantic implication.

Nazuna smiled but didn't press further. However, the tone of her conversation changed when she returned to a more serious topic.

—I see, but you know that by hurting Miyabi, you're also hurting my class. If you keep planning to expel more of my classmates, Fuka's Class B could surpass ours. And honestly, I want to graduate in Class A, Kayden.

—You're right —I admitted—, but that won't stop me. I know you and Nagumo are very close, but I also know that as student council president, he has too many points. Maybe you can buy yourself a pass to Class A if your class drops.

Nazuna looked at me, evaluating my words seriously before letting out a small laugh.

—You're right. Miyabi and I have known each other since elementary school. He's like a narcissistic brother to me. I care about him, but that doesn't mean I approve of everything he does. I guess in the end, we're just in this game trying to survive.

I nodded, knowing that Nazuna understood perfectly how things worked in this school. Each of us had our own goal, but in the end, we were all playing the same game, with different strategies and motivations.

—That's right —I replied, thinking about what would come next. The upcoming moves I made would have consequences, but I knew I couldn't stay still. Not while Nagumo continued to be a threat to those I cared about.

—And how many points does your class have now, Kayden? —Fuka asked, who had remained silent until that moment but couldn't hide her curiosity.

I took a moment to respond, letting the suspense linger in the air for a few seconds. I knew the number of points we had accumulated so far would be surprising to anyone.

—Well, counting the 100 points we earned in the Paper Shuffle and the results from the mixed camp, my class has about 2159 points in total —I replied calmly, as if it were no big deal.

Fuka raised her eyebrows in surprise, while Nazuna let out a choked exclamation, visibly shocked.

—Oh my God! That amount of points, and you haven't even finished your first year —Nazuna said, astonished—. It's impressive. But... wait, how did you earn those 216 points at the camp? I don't understand how they were distributed. I'm a bit lost —she admitted, frowning.

I smiled slightly, used to explaining these types of strategies. Although the system was somewhat convoluted, everything made sense when you broke it down.

—I'll explain. We formed a group of 15 people for the camp —I started—. Of those 15, 12 were from my Class A, including me, and the other three were from different classes. The interesting thing here is that since there was representation from the other classes, the points earned by the group tripled if we came in first place, as it included several classes on the same team.

Nazuna and Fuka nodded, trying to follow the logic.

—So, did they triple for being a mixed group? —Nazuna asked, trying to make sure she understood.

—Exactly —I continued—. Since there was representation from several classes, by winning, the 3 initial points of class were multiplied by three, becoming 9 points. However, that's not all. Since I was the leader of the group, the points earned by my class doubled again, making those 9 points become 18 for those belonging to my class.

Nazuna narrowed her eyes, still processing the information.

—So, if your class had 12 members in that group... did each one receive 18 class points?

—Exactly —I replied—. If you multiply those 18 points by the 12 members of my class, you get a total of 216 points. That's how my class accumulated that amount of points during the camp.

—Wow... —Nazuna murmured, clearly impressed—. Now I understand. It's honestly incredible how well you planned everything.

I smiled modestly, although I couldn't deny that I was pleased to be recognized.

—I guess so. At first, it didn't seem like a big deal —I admitted—. The rewards weren't as juicy as in other events, but after reviewing the rules over and over, I realized that if I played my cards right, I could earn a considerable amount of points.

Nazuna nodded, still processing everything while drinking from her cup. Fuka, who had been silently observing, now joined the conversation.

—It's true, your class seems unshakeable now —Fuka commented with a slight smile—. I don't see the other first-year classes even getting close to yours, Kayden. Even if you did nothing else from now on, I doubt they would catch up.

I shrugged, though I knew she was right. The gap we had opened with the others was noticeable, but I also knew I couldn't rest on my laurels.

—It might be, but I'll still try to earn as many points as possible in the upcoming special exams —I said with determination. Giving up on ambition had never been my style.

Fuka smiled, amused by my attitude.

—You're so ambitious —she said playfully, while her gaze showed a hint of admiration.

—That's me —I replied, shrugging and returning her smile. Although it sounded casual, deep down, my ambition knew no limits. I wouldn't settle for what we had already achieved.

Nazuna watched both of us, with an expression somewhere between amused and thoughtful. After a few seconds, she placed her cup on the table and leaned slightly forward.

—Kayden, I have to say... —she said, her tone more serious than before—. What you're doing is not only impressive but also puts a lot of pressure on the other classes. You've changed the game for them.

I nodded, fully aware of the impact my strategy was causing. The other classes couldn't afford to make mistakes now, and that only increased my advantage.

—That's true —I said—. But I can't underestimate the others. There may still be surprises, and I don't plan to let us get caught off guard.

The atmosphere of the conversation softened a bit after that; the tensions eased, and we returned to enjoy the tranquility of the café and each other's company. But in the back of my mind, strategies were already taking shape, the next moves calculated, and the upcoming special exam occupied my thoughts. There was no room for complacency.

Finally, after a while of light chatter and laughter, I stood up from the table.

"Well, girls, it's been a nice time, but I have to go," I said, stretching. "There are things I need to prepare for next week."

Fuka and Nazuna looked at me with a mix of frustration and resignation.

"You owe us another afternoon, Kayden. Don't think this makes up for it," Nazuna said, half-joking, half-serious.

"Yeah, next time, let's stay longer," Fuka added, winking at me. "You know, relax a bit. You're always thinking about strategies."

I smiled again, though their concern didn't surprise me.

"I promise the next time will be longer," I said. "But until then, take care."

"Same to you, Kayden. And don't forget to reply to my messages this time," Nazuna said, raising an eyebrow.

I laughed as I said goodbye to both of them and left the cafeteria. The afternoon sun bathed the streets, and despite the apparent tranquility of the day, I couldn't ignore what was coming. The exams, the tests, the rivalries between classes… The game never stopped.

As I walked, my mind was already on the next challenge, but deep down, I knew I also needed moments like these. After all, being a leader didn't just mean scoring points; it meant maintaining a balance between ambition and reality. And in that moment, I had achieved both.

The sound of my footsteps echoed on the pavement, and with a smile on my lips, I was ready to face whatever came next.