NOTICE: Please read "Classroom of the Elite: Alter - Self-Test" before reading this.
Picking up on where Self-Test left off, Kiyotaka and his classmates finally reached Class A. However, because of this, Kiyotaka decided to permanently step down a...
I walked along a path laden with trees and covered in snow as the cold winds of winter brushed past my skin. My footprints stained the calming appearance of the flush, even ground. It's funny to think that this place was filled with colors last night. In a span of one snowy night, it has become a scenery of white.
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There, I saw the figure of a girl. She was wearing a warm-looking fleece jacket along with an eye-catching cotton skirt.
It was none other than Class 1-A's masked angel, Kushida Kikyou-- the first friend I made in this school.
"Hey, Kiyotaka-kun." She greeted me with a radiant smile on her pretty face.
"You should've kept resting inside your room," I said as I stopped walking.
"Thank you for your concern, but I'll be okay. Ryuuko-chan took care of me the entire night..." Kikyou replied with a look of reminiscence. "I still needed to put a cold compress on my cheek though, and some parts of my gums are wounded."
She playfully tapped the cold compress, showcasing her usual demeanor like nothing happened.
"Did anyone bother you about the rumors?" I asked.
"I wouldn't say that. But I received tons of messages of concern. I told everyone it didn't matter whether the news article was true or not since no name was mentioned in it, but I swore that it wasn't connected to me in any way. I matched my statement with Horikita-san's words, so now, I can safely say that everyone believes us," she explained. "And besides, everyone already had a feeling that Ryuuen-kun was behind all of it. If I had to worry about something, it's the fact that Sakuragaoka Academy had become the talk of the school."
"I see. I guess that makes sense," I commented before asking another question. "How did it go with Ryuuko? You told her everything, didn't you?"
I expected Kikyou to flinch or tense up, but it seemed like she expected that question.
"Yes... I was scared-- really scared," Kikyou sighed. "But... Ryuuko-chan accepted me. She promised to be my friend no matter what as long as I genuinely see her as one."
"I'm happy for you."
"Mn," she nodded. "Once I get the opportunity, I'll tell Mii-chan and Kokoro-chan as well."
With that, our talk had basically ended. A brief second of silence was all it took for the atmosphere to change. I looked at the unmasked Kikyou. She was ready for whatever comes next.
"So, why did you call me here?" I asked.
"I just... wanted to tell you something that I've been wishing to say for a long time now, Kiyotaka-kun."
I stayed silent and waited for her to continue. Along with Karuizawa Kei, she was the one who taught me about the intricacies of social cues, especially with girls. That's why I knew what she was about to say.
Kikyou was a few meters away from me, but I could clearly see the unfeigned expression on her face. The cold breeze made her growing hair sway, but it didn't diminish her charming appearance in the slightest. And with an innocent smile forming on her lips...
"I love you."
Kikyou uttered those words with a familiar look in her eyes. It wasn't the fake and sweet twinkle that she would show everyone, but a genuine and raw gaze that only I could ever witness. The real Kushida Kikyou had confessed her feelings for me.
"If I told you that I felt the same way, are you willing to be in a relationship with me?"
"Yes... I want to be your girlfriend, and I want you to be my boyfriend. I want everyone to know that we're dating. I want to hold hands, and I want to go on dates. I want to do everything for real this time."
The resolve in her eyes indicated a strong desire for change.
"Kikyou, I don't think you understand what you're getting into."
"I do understand," she insisted.
"You don't," I replied, shaking my head. "I'll tell you what I mean."
"What...?"
I slowly walked towards Kikyou. She laid herself bare, so doing this shouldn't be too cruel. I also wanted to show her something real.
"Ever since I met you in school, I thought of you as nothing but a useful person-- someone who could help me socialize and make friends. That didn't really change even after we got close. I'd always planned on using you as bait against Ryuuen ever since the Deserted Island Exam. In fact, I manipulated Ryuuen and Ibuki so they'd double down on targeting you. It's true that I didn't expect Ryuuen to go as far as he did, but it's also true that I expected you to get tormented by him to some degree." I narrated my thoughts before handing over a mini ziplock bag with two SD cards inside. "I used two other hidden bugs to record our conversation that night. That was my real contingency plan. I would use it without hesitation the moment you become a threat. And if you betray the class, I won't hesitate to expel you myself. You never trusted me, but I never trusted you either."
"..."
"Even now, the reason why I helped you grow was so I can further use you and your abilities. This is who I am, Kikyou. This is what you're getting into."
Kikyou silently stared at me with her trembling fists clenched. However, I didn't know how to describe her feelings just by looking at her face.
Sometime during winter break, Sakuragaoka Academy, the name of Kushida Kikyou's middle school, was seemingly forgotten by everyone in ANHS all of a sudden. Two rumors popped up, dominating the scene, and drowning the previous one. The first rumor was relatively small as it was only talked about by the first-years. It was about Class 1-D's leader, Ryuuen Kakeru, who'd apparently stepped down from his position.
The second one, meanwhile, sent waves across the entire student body. Everyone was talking about it.
"Hey, hey, is it true?" asked a girl from Class 2-C.
"Yeah, it is..." answered, another girl, her classmate.
"Seriously? That Ayanokouji-kun?"
"Yeah, him. No kidding."
"Wow... I remember them being close friends. A lot of the guys were really jealous of him too."
"I mean, who wouldn't? I did think he was cute before, and I saw how cool he can be during the sports festival."
"For real. Even some of the third-year girls developed a crush on him."
"So... they're not even friends now?"
"Yep, I heard they stopped talking to each other."
"Wow... Who would've thought? Something must've gone wrong."
"I know right? That was really unexpected."
"I can't believe Ayanokouji-kun confessed his feelings and got rejected by Kushida-chan."
Author's Notes:
This is the last chapter of Volume 7. Thank you for reading.
