Ayanokouji What If: Popularity Time

Interest-Sakayanagi Arisu and Ryuen Kakeru

"The plan went exactly as you thought it would, Princess," said Hashimoto on the other end of the crackling walkie talkie held firmly in the girl's hand.

"As I expected it to be."

"Confident-my type of woman."

"..."

"Princess?"

"I'm still here."

Hashimoto bummer on the other side, "do you know this guy? Ayanokouji I mean."

Sakayanagi moved her hand and wrapped her small fingers around the rook, moving it to the other side of the board. With a slight hum, she began to speak, "I suppose you could say he's a childhood friend of mine."

"And you happened to disconnect like a romance?"

"Yes that was the case, I was forced to leave him behind as I continued to blaze my path."

"I wonder if you were the same height as you are now."

"I may not be tall however I'm still larger than that dried up piece of meat you call your weapon," said Sakayanagi with a ferocious flick of her tongue.

Hashimoto laughed mischievously, "is the Princess thinking of it?"

"I'm merely curious how something could be so small."

"Perhaps you would like to see it up close?"

"What about Masumi-San."

"What about her? You're the only one for me Princess."

"Fufu, if I were a normal girl I would squeal like a piglet, and yet-"

"You're anything but that."

"Right."

A silence overtook the two classmates. Sakayanagi had halted her movements on the chess board and stared at the bishop in front of her.

"Hashimoto-Kun, do you know what it's like to be insecure?"

"Don't we all, what's your point."

"Well," she started, "I'm not quite sure at all."

Hashimoto laughed, "is it because I said you weren't normal."

"Perhaps," Sakayanagi breathed, "and perhaps not."

"What kind of answer is that?"

"One that's being evasive out of ignorance."

Hashimoto sighed, "you sound like you know yourself and yet you don't at all do you?"

"Quite a conundrum wouldn't you say."

"Yeah, seems like it," said Hashimoto.

"Well we shouldn't pay anymore mind to that, how was the island."

Hashimoto could tell she was smirking. From her seat in the exam, it was a veritable cake walk.  After all, she wasn't being forced to survive the elements.

Hashimoto put on a smile and responded, "lovely, I've never been so connected to nature!"

Sakayanagi hummed.  She knew Hashimoto was trying to spite her so giving a response wasn't going to make anything change in their current conversation.

"Well I will let you go Hashimoto-Kun.  Goodbye."

"Bye Princess."

The walkie talkie ceased any noise as soon as Sakayanagi flipped the switch into the off position.

Sakayanagi began to trace out her path throughout the first year.  Katsuragi would fall, allowing her to take full control of her class.  From there she would conquer Ichinose and leave Ryuen to be undone by himself or Ayanokouji.  When that happens, Sakayanagi and Ayanokouji would face each other in the final exams where Sakayanagi would defeat him.