Saiki Kusuo's Classroom of the Elite

[He just referred to Ryuen as 'Ryuen-kun,' so it seems they're not enemies. This further proves that Ryuen wasn't defeated by Ishizaki, though we already knew that.]

Hashimoto Masayoshi thought to himself, gently stroking his chin.

[I joined this group to investigate the truth behind this matter.]

'So they already know the rumors about Ryuen are fake? That makes sense. Not many people would believe Ishizaki could defeat Ryuen. As long as they don't suspect me, it's fine.'

Saiki muttered to himself.

'It seems Sakayanagi Arisu and the others from Class A have already started investigating this. I'll need to be careful not to slip up in front of Hashimoto.'

"I heard there was a conflict between Ryuen and you, and that you pulled Ryuen down from his leadership position. Is that true?"

Hashimoto Masayoshi asked deliberately.

"Of course! I just called him 'Ryuen-kun' out of habit!"

Ishizaki Daichi quickly realized the flaw in his earlier statement and replied in an annoyed tone.

"This has nothing to do with you. Don't meddle in other people's business!"

"Got it, got it. My apologies!"

Hashimoto Masayoshi maintained a smile and waved his hand, indicating he wouldn't press further.

...

After settling the dormitory arrangements, Saiki and the others wandered around the school building to familiarize themselves with the layout, as he hadn't had the chance to explore it beforehand.

As Saiki strolled alone, his telepathy picked up an unfamiliar voice behind him.

[Is this the Saiki that Horikita-senpai mentioned? He doesn't seem very reliable… But since Horikita-senpai vouched for him, I'll trust him for now.]

The voice was unfamiliar; Saiki hadn't heard it before.

But he already knew who it belonged to.

Kiriyama Ikuto, the current vice president of the student council.

Back on Christmas Eve, Horikita Manabu had approached Saiki, asking for his help in dealing with Nagumo Miyabi. He also mentioned that there was someone in the second year who could assist him.

Although Nagumo Miyabi seemed to have control over the second years, there were still those who secretly opposed him. Kiriyama Ikuto was the person Horikita Manabu had referred to.

At the time, Horikita Manabu hadn't directly revealed Kiriyama's name, but Saiki had already learned it through his telepathy.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, Saiki had never actively sought out Kiriyama Ikuto, and Kiriyama had never approached him either. Saiki had almost forgotten about the matter.

But now, Kiriyama Ikuto, who was in the same group as Nagumo Miyabi and Saiki, seemed unable to contain his curiosity and finally approached Saiki.

Saiki immediately used his clairvoyance to check. Nagumo Miyabi wasn't around at the moment, as he was busy with other matters, giving Kiriyama Ikuto the opportunity to approach him.

For Kiriyama, this was one of the rare chances he had to speak with Saiki alone.

'How long are you going to stare at me from behind?'

Saiki complained inwardly. Kiriyama Ikuto had been observing him from behind but hadn't made a move until now.

"You're Saiki, right?"

After a few seconds of observation, Kiriyama Ikuto finally stepped forward.

"Can I trust you?"

'What kind of disjointed nonsense are you spouting?'

Saiki complained inwardly, then asked aloud,

"Sorry, I'm not sure what you're talking about."

"I'm referring to Horikita-senpai's plan to take down Nagumo. I heard you'd be helping."

"That's correct, Vice President Kiriyama."

[He knows who I am? Well, I am the vice president of the student council, so it's natural he'd know my name.]

Kiriyama Ikuto's brow twitched slightly, but he quickly composed himself.

"Let's discuss some related matters."

"Sure."

Saiki nodded without asking further questions.

[This guy… doesn't he have any curiosity about why I, the vice president, am opposing Nagumo? I've never gotten along with Nagumo, and I joined the student council because I admired Horikita-senpai—as a fellow Class A senior. But now, I've been demoted to former Class A…]

'Yare yare, should a normal person ask about this? I already know everything because of my telepathy…'

Saiki could only go along with the conversation.

[Horikita-senpai probably didn't tell him about me. Could it be… that this Saiki has already investigated my background?]

'I didn't actively investigate, but I accidentally found out.'

Kiriyama Ikuto continued:

"I wanted to stop Nagumo from becoming student council president, but that was impossible. It's beyond my capabilities now. It's quite embarrassing."

'I should ask a few questions to keep up appearances.'

Saiki thought to himself, then asked,

"Is it true that Nagumo has rallied all the second-year students?"

"Almost entirely true. Although many students are dissatisfied, they're not willing to vote against him. They've given up resisting and feel they have no choice but to obey."

Kiriyama Ikuto clenched his fist and sighed.

"Shouldn't different classes be in competition? Why would they obey Nagumo?"

"Because Nagumo promised reforms. He declared he'd break down the barriers between classes and bring talented students up to Class A… Many students are also unhappy about being demoted to lower classes due to group battles, especially since they might have considerable talent but are held back by their classmates."

"You can't really believe that, can you?"

"But they have no choice but to believe it. The point gap between other classes and Class A is widening. Aside from relying on this method, they have no other options."

"That does seem to be the case. But Kiriyama-senpai, don't you have any intention of leaving the student council?"

"How can I leave? If I do, Nagumo will only become more arrogant. I think it's better to infiltrate his inner circle, gather information, and look for weaknesses. I believe passing the information to Horikita-senpai will be useful."

'Yare yare, what an impressive guy… But is it normal for high school to feel like a spy movie? What should I say here?'

Saiki quickly thought of a vague response.

"If left unchecked, will Nagumo pose a threat to other grades?"

"Right now, Nagumo's target is the third years. But once they graduate, he'll definitely turn his attention to your first-year class."

Kiriyama Ikuto paused for a second, then continued,

"And according to the school's tradition, you'll have more opportunities to interact with upperclassmen. At the start of the third semester, there's always a special exam that includes first to third years. This marks the beginning, and similar exams will follow. Last year, we were in the same situation. In short, first-year students will compete with second-year students, and depending on the circumstances, they might also have to face third-year students."

'Yare yare, so there will be more exams involving upperclassmen in the future?'

Saiki sighed inwardly.

"Kiriyama-senpai, what's your plan?"

"Getting him expelled is the simplest solution for now. What about you?"

"We'll see when the time comes."

Saiki replied indifferently.

"Will you help?"

"Probably."

Saiki answered.

'After all, I owe Horikita-senpai a favor. But I have to say, as the former student council president, he even has privileges at the dessert shop?'

"Alright. Anyway, you've already caught Nagumo's attention. Even if you don't want to get involved, you know what kind of person he is. You were there during his conversation with Horikita-senpai earlier. From now on, I'll pass on Nagumo's actions or other important information to you, of course, within the bounds of the rules. After that, it's up to you to decide."

"Understood."

"To be honest, I have no impression of you at all. If it weren't for the relay race between you and Horikita-senpai during the sports festival, I probably wouldn't be here formally asking for your help. In fact, the reason Nagumo noticed you is also because of that relay race."

'I didn't want that either.'

Saiki sighed. For him, the sports festival had been a complete accident.

If he hadn't been forced to participate in so many events, he wouldn't have attracted so much trouble.

He wouldn't have caught Nagumo Miyabi's attention, nor would he have been 'pestered' by Horikita Manabu…

If you trace it back to the root… it's all Sudo Ken's fault.

If Sudo Ken hadn't joked around with him, Saiki wouldn't have performed so well in the grip strength test, and he wouldn't have been selected for so many events.

"From now on, I'll be the one contacting you. Don't reach out to me on your own, and absolutely do not expose my position. If your actions lead to my exposure, you'll bear the consequences!"

After saying this, Kiriyama Ikuto left without further discussion.

'Yare yare, another troublesome guy.'

Saiki shook his head slightly. Although he didn't have much fondness for the student council vice president, he had been entrusted by Horikita Manabu, so he had to cooperate for now.

However, Saiki noticed something.

'Although he says he's against Nagumo, it seems he's not 100% committed to it in his heart?'

'Well, whatever. I'll take things one step at a time.'

'I just hope this exam goes smoothly.'

...

After some free time, an announcement echoed through the school building: it was time for lunch. Saiki, feeling a bit excited, headed straight to the cafeteria.

The cafeteria was a vast space, large enough to accommodate all the students from every grade. It was quickly filled with students.

Although the school's regular cafeteria wasn't this spacious, different grades usually occupied different areas, and their class schedules didn't overlap, so it never felt as crowded as this.

Saiki was somewhat excited because he was curious about the cafeteria's offerings. Perhaps there would be some dishes he hadn't seen before.

During the summer special exam on the cruise ship, Saiki had thoroughly enjoyed the variety of gourmet food.

But this time, Saiki was a bit disappointed. The dishes here were rather ordinary.

He walked up to the serving counter, ready to pick a few decent-looking dishes, when he suddenly heard a familiar voice.

[Don't overthink it, don't overthink it. If I do, Saiki will notice me… Damn it, he's going to find out!]

At first, due to the large number of people, Saiki hadn't noticed anything unusual. But now, as he got closer, he detected the anomaly.

The lunch lady serving him, though wearing a mask and an apron, was unmistakably someone he recognized.

This wasn't a lunch lady at all!

It was Aiura Mikoto!

'What are you doing here?!'

Saiki used telepathy to send his question.

[The school needed staff, so I signed up!]

Aiura Mikoto smiled and nodded.

To stay close to Saiki, Aiura Mikoto had even become a staff member at the school.

Saiki felt a bit helpless, but he could sense the impatience of the students behind him. If he lingered too long talking to Aiura Mikoto, it would definitely raise suspicions. He quickly pointed to a few dishes and prepared to leave.

However, Aiura Mikoto piled his plate with nearly twice the usual portion, stacking it like a small mountain.

[Saiki, you must feel my warm gesture, right?]

Aiura Mikoto's smile grew even brighter.

[Wait, can the cafeteria serve this much food?]

[I thought the lunch ladies always had shaky hands.]

[So jealous.]

The people around noticed the towering pile of food on Saiki's plate and couldn't hide their astonishment.

'Yare yare… Of course it had to be like this…'