Classroom of the Elite: Free Will

V10.5: Chapter 3 - The Outside

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka POV

"Hello, Kiyo." My eyes widened in disbelief as I recognised the voice. "It's been a while."

I didn't reply immediately.

I was too stunned to speak.

Hearing her voice again after all this time felt... surreal. As if I was hearing a memory buried deep enough to never think of it again and at the same time it felt like the voice of someone that had never left my side.

"You still there?"

"...Yes," I muttered, her voice cutting through my reverie.

She let out a sigh of relief and then in a more energetic tone she said, "So, tell me. How is it going? Are you okay? How is Nao?"

"That's.... I'm fine, Nao is good too." My answer felt so vague, but it was honest.

"That's good," she declared. "I heard you two started dating, is that true?"

That question threw me off. If she knew that, then it meant that she knew what was happening in here. Yet, there shouldn't be any reason for her to have this knowledge or any other knowledge of what happened inside ANHS for that matter.

"I... How do you know that?"

"Oh, I was having a lovely chat with Sakayanagi-san here before your call. Nice plan in how to deal with Tsukishiro by the way."

I didn't believe for a second that a small chat with Director Sakayanagi was her only source of information but I wouldn't press either.

I shrugged. "Just the basic steps to prepare."

"Of course, of course. Tell me then, want a heads up?"

"Does that man know you're there?"

Silence.

For the first time she was considering how to reply.

"Rin?"

"I wonder..." I heard her mumble. "It wasn't easy to get here, Kiyo. Things are... quite delicate out here."

"Is that why you sent Tsukasa into a boxing match? What game are you playing, Rin?"

"You know my motivation, Kiyo."

Rin's motivation... the Tohsaka name. Even though she'd rather do something else with her life, Rin's strong sense of responsibility and devotion makes her work relentlessly for the Tohsaka name to be at the place of recognition and prestige it deserves.

I decided to change my question.

"Are you using him? Tsukasa? Or is he aware of—"

"Tsukasa is my associate and you'd be surprised by how much he understands. He's not the idealistic boy you left at the Household."

"I see..."

So, in this past year, Tsukasa had also grown a lot. I imagine it was only natural since he had been the only one really training and keeping up with the curriculum. He was also forced to kill Matsuo-sensei which surely affected him a lot. Then, his life took another turn as Rin came back into his life with grand plans and ideas to start gaining leverage and influence in the political and business spheres of the country.

"But let's come back to the topic. Would you like a heads-up for what's to come?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Why would you know anything?"