Classroom of the Elite: The Idea Dumps

Idea Dumps 10 - In a world without Ayanokouji...

Ryuen Kakeru

"What if there was a supplementary rule that stated 'any second- or third-year students will be expelled immediately if they leak exam contents'?" I asked.

"That's... They would never talk."

"That's right. Even if a freshman asked them, they wouldn't say a word. No way would people who fought to avoid expulsion for a whole year risk getting expelled over making a careless comment. In fact, I tried and utterly failed to negotiate in second-year Class-D students by offering them private points. Proof that talking carries considerable risk."

"But... Well, I suppose you might be right. Komiya and Kondou said something like that a while ago, too. They said they tried to ask some upperclassmen for hints and got nothing. If anything, it kind of felt like they weren't even allowed to ask."

Which was precisely what gave rise to the feeling that it had been forbidden for generations. It was very likely the actual rules were more detailed, but we'd learn them eventually.

"I've always tried to push the boundaries between what's acceptable and what's considered a violation of school rules," I explained.

Researching the surveillance cameras, bribing the senior students, and making the back-alley deal with Class A were all part of my experiments to ascertain what I could and couldn't do.

"What we're about to do to Karuizawa is one such experiment, too." Karuizawa started to shiver in the cold.

"Trauma can be awakened more strongly through the senses than through words," I added.

Based to what Manabe and her friends had told me, the fierce Karuizawa would quickly buckle when subjected to this. I signaled Ishizaki with one glance. Ibuki pushed Karuizawa forward and then stepped away. In accordance with my orders, Ishizaki dumped a bucket of water on Karuizawa's head.

"Ah!"

Being doused outdoors, in the middle of winter, would chill anyone to the bone. Karuizawa collapsed, shivering, and hugged herself tight. Her bravado was gone, washed away by just one bucket of water.

"Do you remember the baptism you received at your previous school?" I asked.

"N-no!" She covered her ears and sat there, her whole body trembling, as if she were a little girl afraid of ghosts.

"Come on, we're just getting started."

I took out my phone and began recording. I pushed Karuizawa's wet bangs from her eyes, watching her spirit begin to break. She was probably flashing back to being bullied right now.

"If you won't talk, then I'll circulate this video throughout the school." That was a lie, but Karuizawa was no longer in any state to tell.

"Come on, scream. Beg me to have mercy."

"N-no!"

The deeper the scars, the more they hurt when you uncovered them.

"I can't watch this. I knew I shouldn't have helped you," said Ibuki, averting her eyes.

"Bullying the weak is pretty fun though, right? It really gets you going. Well... guess we should change tactics now. Splashing her all at once didn't seem to affect her, don't you think, Mio?" I said while grabbing a cloth that I filled with the water Ishizaki got.

"You're disgusting," said Ibuki.

"Ah... seems like you have an idea of what I was about to do," I replied, chuckling.

I signaled Ishizaki to bring over the makeshift bench I had made earlier. It was nothing more than a large wooden board with a hollowed-out center and a drain at the bottom. Ishizaki positioned it in front of Karuizawa, making sure her head was elevated higher than her feet.

Next, I took a thick towel and folded it several times, creating a pad that I could place over Karuizawa's face. Finally, I knelt down beside her and gently but firmly pressed the cloth against her nose and mouth, sealing it tightly shut.

As I began pouring water from a jug over the towel, I watched Karuizawa's body tense up, her chest heaving as she struggled to breathe. She let out muffled cries and thrashed about wildly, her bound limbs making it difficult for her to escape the agony. Her eyes bulged out of their sockets, her face turning a sickly shade of blue.

Ishizaki, standing nearby, had a worried look on his face. "Ryuen-san... we're not going to kill her, right?"

I smiled coldly at him. "Don't worry. We're just making sure she understands her place. Now, keep pouring."

As the water continued to flow over the towel, Karuizawa's struggles grew weaker. She began to make gurgling sounds as water filled her lungs, her body jerking uncontrollably. I looked over at Ishizaki, who looked horrified.

"Are you sure this is necessary?" he asked, his voice shaking.

I glanced at him, unimpressed. "It's not like she's going to die, you idiot. She just needs to understand her place." I turned back to Karuizawa, who was now twitching and thrashing wildly as she struggled for air. I watched with detached amusement as she fought against the inevitable.

"Don't worry," I whispered into her ear. "X is going to save you in a while, right?"

Little did she know, X was never coming.

X... or should I say, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, had already abandoned her. Not by his own choice, but he was already out of the picture.

A runaway child who eventually got caught by his father. 

Ha! What a riot! 

To think I was bothered with a guy with severe daddy issues.

I glanced over at Ishizaki, who seemed a bit unsettled by the whole thing. "Don't worry," I reassured him with a cold smile. "We'll let her go before she actually dies."

As the water continued to pour over Karuizawa, her struggles began to subside. Her body twitched sporadically as she tried to catch her breath, but it was clear that she was growing more and more exhausted. Her cries turned to shallow gasps and then finally to silence as she lay there, helpless and at our mercy.

"Ah... she's gone silent. C'mon, Karuizawa, this isn't even fun now."

Although there was no point in getting answers out of her, as I already knew who X was, I wanted to feel a tiny sliver of my life before I entered this school.

Waterboarding? That wasn't even the worst thing I've done to someone.

With a sigh, I finally decided to put an end to it. I removed the towel from her face, and she gasped for air, coughing and spluttering as she struggled to catch her breath. Ishizaki, looking relieved, helped her sit up, and she collapsed forward, her forehead resting against her knees. Her whole body was shaking uncontrollably from the ordeal.

"You did well, Karuizawa," I said with a smile. "Now, it's time for you to sleep."

With a sudden, powerful kick to her side, I sent Karuizawa flying across the room, her limp body hitting the hard floor with a sickening thud. She lay motionless, blood trickling from her nose and mouth. Ishizaki gasped, his face pale.

"Are you sure that was necessary?" he asked, his voice trembling.

I looked at him, amused by his discomfort. "Oh, don't worry about her. She'll be fine. She's just going to sleep a little earlier than usual."

However, Karuizawa never woke up.

END