Translator: Tsukii
Editor: Kiro
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Chapter 81
During the following day’s lunch break, Arisu-chan and I headed to Class A’s classroom.
“First of all, thank you for your hard work, I guess?”
Honami winked at me. Stop that since Chihiro-chan would stare at me.
“Thank you for your hard work. But I never thought Honami’s score would end up as 0.”
“Nya… it seems I’ve been hated by a lot of people.”
She was definitely among the top students in terms of popularity. However, as a result of receiving 39 criticism votes from Class C, those votes were offset by praise votes from Class B, resulting in the final point being 0.
What I felt as we came was that, while the ties between Class A and Class B became stronger, students of Class C began to hate Honami. Otherwise, they wouldn’t come to the conclusion of accepting the contract in the first place. The final decision was entrusted to Kei-chan, but there was no doubt there was an intention to topple Honami… and the rest of Class A that she led.
It was no wonder. Honami was a class leader with overwhelming results. Originally, students like that would be seen as “hindrances” by other classes. It would be okay if Honami could seize and dominate the entire school grade like Nagumo did… but as of now, there was no mention of extending the influence to Class C.
“Well, it doesn’t matter. My ‘ally’ is right here after all!”
As Honami said that, she entwined her arms with mine even though Arisu-chan was beside me. She didn’t look bothered by the fact she was hated by a lot of people at all.
…If it was Honami in the past instead, I was sure she would feel depressed.
“You’ve gotten stronger.”
“Fufu, it’s all thanks to you.”1
I recalled the time when she got mentally cornered and cried alone on the rooftop. I could feel her mentality improved a lot compared to that time, so much so it felt scary recently.
As I received envious gazes from my surroundings, Arisu-chan and I left the classroom.
After school. We spent a relaxing time eating cake at the café.
At first, we were planning to go to the student council room, but that had to be rescheduled.
“I wonder what other business he said he had.”
It was during the homeroom before classes ended that I received a message from Nagumo that said “I have other business to handle today, so it’s difficult to free up time.” Since we weren’t in a rush in particular, we decided to make another appointment at the beginning of the week.
That in itself was fine, but I couldn’t help but be curious about that said business.
“I think it was most likely about Horikita-san, you know?”
“You mean Suzune’s one?”2
“Yes, that’s right. It’s already 6 PM now, so maybe around this time… she has been claimed. I won’t say what of hers was being claimed, though. Fufufu.”
Arisu-chan seemed to be able to understand most of the circumstances. Hearing that blunt remark, I shuddered.
She was making predictions about Horikita’s current state while grinning. There was not the slightest hint of worry or pity toward Horikita on Arisu-chan’s face. In a sense, that part of hers was a bit like Nagumo.
“I didn’t expect her to end up as Nagumo’s toy…”
It was an end that couldn’t be imagined at the beginning of her admission. Even if the root cause lies in her own behavior, I felt a little pained at the result.
That said, if I were asked whether I was willing to take the risk to help her… that was an entirely different issue.
I always gave priority to people I liked and people close to me. Unfortunately, although Horikita was an acquaintance, she didn’t fit the category of “important people.”
If this was Kikyou-chan instead, I would go to save her even if I had to kill Nagumo in the worst-case scenario. Unless it was people I wanted to protect, I was generally indifferent toward them.
“Not yet, things could still become even more interesting. Around now, she might have been used as an outlet of Nagumo’s desire and suffered as many wounds as possible. Just imagining what kind of face Horikita-san would make is interesting.”
Uwah, that was scary.
Arisu-chan was being unusually aggressive and seemed to be having a lot of fun. While watching her, I drank my coffee. Today I put a lot of sugar to make it sweeter.
…Despite what she said, Arisu-chan seemed interested in Horikita. If Horikita hated Nagumo from the bottom of her heart and chose to drop out without hesitation instead, perhaps Arisu-chan would react differently.
While we were talking about that, a student walked toward us.
“Kuku, you guys are stuck together like magnets as usual.”
It was Ryuuen who was loosening his shoulder. I could only see him as a yankee.
…The person who was responsible for crushing Horikita had come out.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Don’t be silly, that’s sarcasm.”
“I see. Even so, I never thought you would act like Nagumo’s henchman.”
“I’ll crush that asshole eventually. But now is not the time.”
After clicking his tongue, Ryuuen sat across from us.
“The fact you can abandon your own pride for the sake of benefit is your strength. However, I think this action of yours lacked a risk management factor. What would you do if Nagumo decides to betray you?”
“He’s currently obsessed with ‘Horikita’. I’m not even worth considering right now.”
“Haah… Betting on people’s actions based on their emotions is nothing but a gamble. It’s even more so since that man is good at acting like that.”
“Well, I wonder about that.”
Ryuuen seemed to be pushed by Arisu-chan’s sermon.
For me, it was a rather unexpected scene. Hadn’t Arisu-chan already completely lost interest in Ryuuen?
…Perhaps it was exactly because the initial expectation was high.
“You’re been noisy for a while now. What are you trying to say?”
“I’m saying you shouldn’t disappoint me too much. Tracing back on Nagumo’s tactic was nothing but an inferior method. If it was the former you, you could have resorted to an even dirtier method like threatening students of another class to secure the votes.”
“I don’t give a damn. What are you, my teacher?”
After Arisu-chan glanced at Ryuuen who was cussing at her, Arisu-chan stood up from her seat while carrying the slip.
I also hurriedly stood up and put a white fluffy jacket on her. That sure suits her…
“You have disappointed me many times, including the time when Hiyori-san was taken away. However, as far as I can see, your eyes haven’t seemed to die yet.”
“Please grow up more,” said Arisu-chan as she turned to leave.
When I held her hand so she wouldn’t fall, Arisu-chan smiled happily.
“…Kek, if you say that while holding hands, it doesn’t look dignified at all.”
Looking back, Ryuuen was also smiling. That vile smile was full of wild charm.
It was Ryuuen’s creed to win regardless of the method. It didn’t matter how many times he was defeated and how much his pride was wounded. All he needed to do was stand at the top in the end, just that simple logic. It was something exciting from the perspective of a bystander like me, so I look forward to seeing him in the future.
“I hope he will reconsider his next move through this exchange.”
After leaving the café, Arisu-chan muttered one thing.
Although I was looking forward to it, Ryuuen’s future was filled with difficulties.
At this event, Ryuuen definitely instructed his class to put the criticism votes on Horikita. Yet despite that, the points that Horikita had was -30.
…Considering Horikita’s personality, it was unlikely she received 0 criticism votes from other classes, so this suggested there were several “traitors” within Class D.
How would he handle people who didn’t obey him? Would he try to keep them in check using violence just like when the class first decided its king? Or maybe… he would force them to leave the school?
I suddenly recalled something. It was about the contract between Class C and Class D.
- Ryuuen Kakeru will pay 10 million private points to Karuizawa Kei by March 31st.
Perhaps the members of Class C including Kei-chan were thinking of distributing those points to everyone. Kei-chan herself also acted as the representative, so she shouldn’t feel like she was making a transaction with Ryuuen.
That in itself wasn’t wrong, and that was probably why the contract went in that direction, but…
If Kei-chan was expelled before then, what would happen to this clause?
“Ryuuen-kun has no idea what fear is.”
Those words contained various meanings.
I felt like I understood a little what Arisu-chan was afraid of.3
Author Note:
It was a disturbing development.
From the next chapter onward, many people will suffer terrible experiences. Perhaps what Horikita experienced could be considered decent in comparison?
I think this was the last update for the year. I never thought I would manage to continue this series until the year changed when I first began. In the first place, the original draft shows the protagonist dropping out in half a year… Thank you for continuing to support me.
Happy New Year, everyone…
Want early access to Cannon Fodder, Melancholy of the Demon Army Officer, and I Was a Man Before Reincarnating, So I Refuse a Reverse Harem? Support the translator on Patreon!
