Classroom of the Elite - Book 15.5,: Chapter 3: EVERYONE’S DAYS OFF (3)

Sakayanagi finished narrating her interaction with Ichinose.

I had just finished eating and drank what remained of my 200ml bottle of tea.

“To win the heart of Ichinose-san, one of the most popular girls in the school, you are a sinful person.”

It may seem like a frivolous statement, but it cannot be taken as being even one millimeter in a positive direction.

“That’s harsh, Sakayanagi.”

“Fufufu, it’s in my nature after all.”

As if to get ahead, she is trying to protect Ichinose whilst also making preparations so that she can use her.

“If I do something to hurt Ichinose here, she will put her trust in you.”

“If I can gain her trust, I’ll have a much easier time getting around in the future.”

Sakayanagi has a side to her that is my ally, but naturally, at the same time she has a side that is my enemy as well.

They are two sides of the same coin, and she’s making good use of it.

“But why are you telling me all this?”

“What I just told you was about Ichinose-san, but that’s not important right now. In this school, the number of people who know about you is gradually increasing, Ayanokouji-kun. And they hold a very strong interest in you.”

It’s true that if my relationship with Ichinose hadn’t been so close during the uninhabited island exam, she wouldn’t have come running to me, causing trouble for her friends.

“And to go along with that, you’ve been getting a lot of strange looks from the 3rd year students, right?”

I see. I’m sure she chased after me because she wanted to chat, but this was the main topic she was after. That means Sakayanagi was able to realise I was being watched by the 3rd year students from just that short period of time. As expected from her.

So the earlier conversation was just a preparatory step to bring up this topic.

“Are you in trouble with the 3rd year?”

“Well, trouble would be one way to put it. I seem to have made an enemy of a nasty opponent.

“A nasty opponent…the Student Council President, yes?”

Nagumo was the only one who came to mind when considering a potential strong opponent among the upperclassmen.

“I had a dispute with the Student Council President on the final day of the uninhabited island exam. It seems he missed out on 1st place because of it, so now they’re looking at me like I’m the enemy.”

“So he was tripped up by trying to stage a dramatic late victory, right?”

“You were aware of that much?”

“I think the majority of people in the uninhabited island exam hold the opinion that Kouenji-kun was an unmatched warrior. But I knew early on that the Student Council President was deliberately holding back on scoring points. If they made the difference too big, it would be blatantly obvious that the entire 3rd year was trying to make a particular group win. I saw the stream of cards in his possession, and therefore also saw his strategy.”

Although I thought I was already fully aware of Sakayangi’s ability, she still exceeded my expectations.

It was proof that she had a perfect grasp of everything that went on during the uninhabited island exam.

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“No, I’m fine. Nagumo can’t make any fancy moves lightly either. Besides, you were a great help during the uninhabited island exam, Sakayanagi. I can’t rely on you even more than I already have.”

“You really don’t have to mind it. I was glad that you relied on me, and I also took full advantage of your position.”

“Took full advantage? Meaning?”

Sakayanagi giggled and stared out to the ocean with narrowed eyes.

“As we neared the end of the uninhabited island exam, we knew it would be difficult to take 1st or 2nd place. The pace at which Kouenji-kun and the Student Council President were gaining points exceeded the maximum score that our group would be able to obtain.”

Well, those 2 groups were fighting on a whole other level.

“I was aiming for 3rd place, but one of my rivals in the final stages was Ryuuen-kun’s group. He was only in a small group of two with Katsuragi-kun, but he showed exceptional tenacity. So I asked him for his help and decided to let him and Housen-kun clash.”

“I see. So that’s what you meant.”

“Whatever form it takes, if Ryuuen-kun were to stray from the main focus of the exam, his scoring would slow down. As it turned out, he was forced to retire, which was the best possible outcome for us.”

So she was able to help me while crushing her rival, Ryuuen, at the same time.

However, there are still some parts that I don’t understand, even after hearing all this.

Ryuuen had been working hard for 2 weeks to get on the podium, but he readily cooperated with Sakayanagi.

It wasn’t hard to imagine that it would be unsafe to confront Housen.

The only thing that’s clear is that some kind of promise was made.

If he had to give up the possibility of 3rd place, it would have to be more than just a small transaction.

“Reasonable compensation…For example, he didn’t make you pay a massive sum of private points did he?”

If Sakayanagi made good use of the Bonus cards belonging to her classmates, she should have brought in a good amount of income. It wouldn’t be a surprise if she had made an offer to Ryuuen, who was trying to collect a huge amount of private points.

“I haven’t paid a single point, and I don’t plan to in the future either.”

“So you’re saying it’s not money.”

In this school, the exchange of private points is the standard method used for transactions.

“It sounds like a riddle, but I can’t tell even you the details right now, Ayanokouji-kun. This is a promise made between him and myself. Until he tells me to fulfil my end of the deal in the near future, that is.”

“That wish will end up strangling him in the near future,” added Sakayanagi.

With that in mind, it’s no wonder she didn’t pay him back with money such as private points.

“Anyway, please be careful, Ayanokouji-kun. You’ve solved one problem, but the White Room students are still around, and now you’ve also got to deal with the 3rd year.”

“It’s a long list of problems, but I’ll be careful.”

I heard a ringtone come from Sakayanagi’s person.

Sakayanagi gave me a light warning and answered the incoming call.

“…Is that so? I’ll be right there.”

Without speaking for even five seconds, Sakayanagi ended the phone call and let go of the railing.

“I have an appointment with someone after this, so I’ll take my leave now.”

“Okay. I’ll see you later.”

“It was a pleasure speaking with you. Then, later.”

After watching Sakayanagi slowly depart, I decided to watch the ocean for a little while longer.