Classroom of the Elite: Free Will

V10: Chapter 6 - Oops

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka POV

When I arrived at school the next morning, Suzune informed me of something.

"I've decided not to count Hirata-kun as an asset in this exam," she said.

Yesterday, Yousuke had silently refused to attend an after school gathering that Kouenji had attended. Considering his behaviour, it was no wonder Suzune had come to this decision.

"That's a good call. There's too much cause for concern for us to rely on him." We could try and force him to participate, but it would probably just backfire.

"It's fine if it's just for this exam. But it's possible this behaviour might continue for a long time," said Suzune.

Her concerns were by no means an exaggeration. We could all agree that everyone wanted him to recover, but right now, it was unclear how to get him back.

"Well, if you think there's nothing to be done about Yousuke's withdrawal, there's always the option of having him expelled, right?" I replied.

While Suzune was clearly surprised by what I'd just said, she responded calmly. "That's... Well, yes, there is that option. That might be something I'll have to consider. I suppose at the very least, it's a relief he didn't get desperate enough to say he wanted to be the commander, or anything like that," said Suzune.

It was easy to imagine Yousuke volunteering to be the commander for this special exam. Then he could deliberately lose and get expelled. Simple. But even if he had no lingering attachments left to the school, he still didn't want to inconvenience other people, which was precisely why he hadn't volunteered for the position. If I had to guess, the reason he was quietly attending class each day was because the class would be penalized if he got expelled. He was probably looking for the right opportunity to make his exit, when it wouldn't inconvenience anyone else.

But that logic only applied to his current state.

"It's not like he'll necessarily stay a good person forever, right? He might give into despair and desperation, and then..."

"I suppose."

As Suzune had said, there was no way of knowing what Yousuke would do if he grew desperate enough. We couldn't rule out the possibility of him nearly destroying the class on his way out.

"That's exactly why I don't want to have him participate right now. He's a ticking bomb. I'd also like to keep the class together, so we don't set him off," said Suzune.

Conflict within Class B was exactly what Yousuke hated most of all. Suzune was being proactive, right off the bat, to keep such conflict from arising.

"Sounds rough," I replied.

As we talked, I felt the vibe in the classroom suddenly change. Yousuke had arrived. Most of the students were trying not to look directly at him, but they were clearly concerned. He was just barely on time to class today.

"G-good morning, Hirata-kun," Mii-chan called out. She was being brave, not letting the awkwardness in the air deter her.

But Yousuke didn't respond to her bravery. He ignored her and quietly went to his seat, not responding to anyone. Still, Mii-chan's smile didn't falter.

"Who could have imagined things would turn out like this?"

"You're telling me."

Despite Mii-chan's best efforts, Yousuke continued his self-imposed isolation.

"She's the only one who hasn't given up on trying to talk to Hirata-kun, isn't she? I didn't think she had that deep a connection with him..." Suzune had also noticed Mii-chan paying special attention to Yousuke and was beginning to wonder why she kept on trying.