Outsider : Classroom Of The Elite

Chapter 1.6 - Glimpse

The noise of our classmates' chatter faded into the background as the room temperature felt like it dropped.

"Who are you, really?"

Ayanokouji repeated as his voice was low and intense. His eyes were locked onto mine, questioning, evaluating.

But that was never enough to phase me.

"I'm someone who knows more than you'd think," I replied calmly. "The White Room. It's real, isn't it?"

"That's not an answer."

"I'm aware," I said, maintaining eye contact. "But that's the only one you're going to get if this conversation dies."

His eyes flickered, a brief crack in his otherwise perfect composure.

"How do you know about that place?" he asked. "That's not something just anyone can find out."

"You don't suspect me of being affiliated with the White Room?"

"That's a possibility, undeniably." Ayanokouji's gaze sharpened. "But I am certain you're not someone from that place."

"Really?" I raised an eyebrow. "What makes you sure though? That I won't expose your background?"

"If you really were a subject from the White room, you wouldn't even suggest that." he said with an unreadable expression. "Besides, if that truly was your intention, you're taking a risk confronting me directly." 

Obviously, I confronted him knowing that he'd notice these hints.

Honestly it was kind of nerve wracking to do this. Directly impacting the protagonist of the story.

"Well, it's reassuring that you'd catch it this fast," I leaned in slightly. "As for who I am... Let's just say I'm not too keen on sharing my background. I hate people peering into my past as much as you do. So rest assured. I'm not a hypocrite piece of shit."

The temperature in the room suddenly dropped.

"What is your goal?" he asked in a cold voice.

"Nothing."

Honestly, I had no fixed goals set at that point. I'm very sure even if I didn't make it out of the A class, I'd still be able to do something outside. Not reaching class A wasn't like the end of the world. However...

"You've probably noticed this by now, but the school is actually up to something, haven't you?" I pointed toward the camera monitoring us and the other unsuspecting students.

Ayanokouji didn't even look, because he already knew of it's existence. "What's your angle, Levent?" he asked.

"...Are you familiar with the term co-op?"

"Co-operative, you mean?"

"Yes. Unlike a competitive game, these types of games must be played with more than one player. And instead of attacking and trying to defeat each other, the players actually work together for a common goal."

 His eyes narrowed, studying my face for any sign of deception. 

"A co-operative bond," I answered. "More precisely, I want a partner in crime."

After hearing that, he made a complicated expression. "In other words, you want to use me?"

"Yes, I want to use you. But in exchange of the network of information I have. I'd much prefer you to be an ally instead of an enemy. Because neither of us wants to deal with a in-fighting hassle."

Silence stretched between us, thick with tension. Each of us waited for the other to make the next move. I looked out over the pool where the girls were almost done with their race. The boys' turn was soon approaching. There was a reason why I chose this day out of all the others.