Classroom of the Elite: Free Will

V1: Chapter 8 - School Bounds

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka POV

It's been a week since my confrontation with the student council president. The following day Nao had asked Chabashira-sensei's file to the older Horikita, and I know had a thirty pages-long file on my phone. Reading it I started to understand the person named Chabashira Sae.

The study group sessions had been going smoothly since my talk with Horikita that night. She was now less hostile towards the three idiots. When Matsushita questioned me about it, I just told her I had managed to convince Horikita not to antagonize the idiots. They would still daze off from time to time, both during classes and the group sessions, but there was progress. We had even ended up talking about trivial things at one of Keyaki Mall's cafés one or two times (Horikita wouldn't join us though).

When the lunch bell rang. Miyake, Hasebe, Matsushita and I went over to the cafeteria.

It was curious how even though we were classmates, Matsuo had been the one to introduce me to Miyake since they were both in the Archery Club. Miyake then, introduced me to Hasebe.

I was the one who introduced them to Matsushita. At first, they were reticent because Matsushita was part of Karuizawa's group but by now, I could say we were good friends.

Lunch break was forty-five minutes long. So, Matsushita and I had about half of it before the twenty-minute study session the group had agreed on.

After we sat down to eat Hasebe started a conversation.

"Guys, did you hear the rumour?"

"The rumour? What rumour Hasebe-san?"

"It's nothing," replied Miyake. "Just something I heard yesterday from a senpai at the club."

Matsushita was going to ask something again, but a new voice cut her off.

"Oh! You're talking about the summer vacation rumour?"

We all turned to the voice and saw Matsuo accompanied by Beppu Ryota and Ando Sayo.

"Summer vacation rumour?" It was me who asked.

The three of them sat at the table with us.

"Yeah," said Ando cheerfully. "It's being spreading like wildfire between the second and first years for the last few days. Apparently, the school is preparing a surprise for us, first-years."

"What kind of surprise?" Matsushita asked curious.

"According to the senpai that told me about it," Miyake began. "The school will offer the first years that pass the midterms a vacation on an island."

"Well, if you ask me, I'd say it's some prank a senpai is playing on the freshmen," Beppu said.

That was a valid argument, I guess. This school wasn't generous enough to offer its students a vacation like that. They had already proved that much.

It was the first time I heard this rumour, but I already knew about the special exams from Nao's investigations. So, if it was true, and there was a catch, it was probably related. I wonder what the source of the rumour was.

I was almost certain the student council had a hand on school affairs since Karma as the treasurer, took care of each month's allowance for all the students in the school. Karma never mentioned anything about it, but I might ask him

"But it could also be some kind of compensation from the school for not allowing us to contact the outside," Hasebe retorted.

"Why are we even taking the rumour as if it was something official announced by the school?" asked Miyake. "It's just that, after all. A rumour."