Classroom of the Elite: Alter - Solace

Vol. 7: Chapter 9.2 - The Real Me

I meticulously researched everything I could. I even went back to Sakuragoaka Junior High's official news page multiple times to get my facts straight. It's true that my sources were limited, but from the specific news article that I found, the girl in question perfectly matched Kikyou's fake persona. There's no way I could confirm the details of the incident unless I get out there and interview Kikyou's previous classmates, but that's impossible.

Even then, I was confident that the news article was talking about Kikyou.

All this time, she was trembling. She understood that I knew something, but she also believed that Ayanokouji or Suzune wouldn't betray her. If that's the case, bluffing would be an option because she might've thought that I had no real source.

Was she bluffing? Only time will tell.

"Trust me, I know a lot. But are they the truth? I can't be sure. The news page of your previous school looked pretty reliable."

Kikyou's smile disappeared and boundless anger could be seen in her eyes. How scary. Think about your admirers. They'd get badly disillusioned, you know?

"So that's where you got everything..." she said.

"Oh, you know about it? Your school website's news page, I mean."

"Of course, I do. I was one of the prominent sources of news in our school because of my influence back then. You should've seen my name pop up in a lot of the archived news."

"Indeed I have. You were always the shining light of hope and positivity everywhere you went, weren't you? You didn't lead any big projects, but you were always present at every school event. You were the school's go-to when asking for the students' collective opinion, and everyone was fond of you-- whether it was your peers or your teachers. Kushida Kikyou was basically an idol."

Kikyou started to look nervous once again. In other words, everything I've said so far were true.

"Where'd that newfound smile go? I thought you started regaining your confidence earlier?"

"Shut up..." she muttered under her breath.

"Heh... "Girl Causes the Collapse of an Entire Class"-- Does that ring a bell?"

Kikyou's eyes opened wide. Bingo. It was all a bluff.

I knew I found the right sauce. It didn't matter if the name was hidden. The main subject of this news and the school idol Kushida Kikyou were basically one-to-one copies of each other in terms of how their personalities and roles were described. 

"Do you think I'd only look at the official news? Your school was quite progressive by letting its students publish and propagate student-written news. That place was a lot better. Controversies regarding students were a hot topic, and issues and complaints about everything surrounding the school were widely debated. It was honestly a revolutionary idea for a Japanese school as long as the moderation was consistent."

ANHS has its own official website and forum, but the engagement wasn't as great. It was lacking some spice. 

"Shut up!" She yelled as she dropped to her knees while covering her ears.

Ishizaki and the other guys slightly jumped in surprise. Is Kushida Kikyou finally going to reveal her true self? Even if she tried to contain her rage, everyone could already sense the subtle changes in her behavior. It seemed like her mask was starting to crumble. 

"Hit too close to home, huh? This one was about you, wasn't it?" 

I crouched down to Kikyou's level and pulled up the said page, showing it to her. It contained the written details on what was published about this particular incident.