Outsider : Classroom Of The Elite

Chapter 3.5 - Brilliant or Blunder?

Day 1, 4:00 PM.

When we came back, the first thing I did was to dump all the sticks and branches that I was carrying. My accomplices, Ayanokouji and Sakura also exhaled in relief. We made our arrival known after we entered the cave. Hirata greeted us with his trademark smile.

"Did you face any difficulties while you were out there?" he asked, concerned.

"Well, about that... There's something I have to report." I pointed outside the cave. A little far back in front of the main entrance, class D's Ibuki was standing. Some of my classmates had already noticed the unfamiliar face and began to discuss it among themselves.

"When our group was out there collecting the firewood, we stumbled upon Ibuki-san from class D. Her face was swollen. She was probably abandoned by her class. Ryuen went as far as to assault her. So, we couldn't leave her there."

"That's okay, Levent-kun. You made the right decision. I still can't believe they would do such a thing to her."

"I wanted to involve the teacher. But she told me to drop it. I think she doesn't want to be an inconvenience to her class." I remarked.

"I understand. I think we'll be alright with having her stay here."

"You're really kind, Hirata-kun." I complimented him.

"Haha, It's nothing worth complimenting, really," Hirata replied with an awkward smile. "I mean, aren't we all from the same school? If we don't help others in trouble, then who will?"

Typical Hirata-like reply, as expected. The boy named Hirata Yousuke was a genuinely kind person. It was one of the main reasons why I held him in high regard. However, he was kind to a fault. His unbiased kindness was the biggest reason why I deemed him unworthy of being a good leader.

I'm not telling anyone to be unkind. No, it's actually the opposite. Kindness is a great virtue that I think all humans should strive for. However, being kind and being someone else's tool are two different things.

One should be careful about how their kindness is being received. If they let their guard down, the others may see it as a weakness. Hence, the kind people end up being easily exploited. Apparently, class D was doing the same thing with the other classes.

"Do you have a moment, Ibuki-san? I wanted to talk to you," we approached Ibuki.

"I'm probably just getting in the way. You've already taken good care of me." She quickly stood, as if she wanted to run.

"Wait a minute. I want to help you." After seeing her swollen face, Hirata had likely confirmed my words.

"Nothing will change if I stay. I don't want to waste time just sitting around."

"This is a test, so of course some students will doubt you. However, you're hurt. I don't want to chase you away if you can't go back to your own class. I think that's why Levent-kun brought you here. So, tell me about your situation."

"This isn't something I can just talk about. Besides, I've heard all your plans. You'd hate it if more of your strategies were leaked, right?"

Ibuki started walking away. I wonder if she would curse herself if we agreed to let her go for real. She's overreacting after all. Painfully obvious, if you understood her reverse psychology tactic.

"If you really were a spy, you wouldn't want to be chased out, would you?"

"What the hell... I'll just look for a place to sleep. That's all."