KiyotakaxOC- A New Life In Classroom Of The Elite: Ayaki 's Quest For Change

Chapter 22- Sakura Airi

Ayaki was walking through the halls, hands in her pockets, her mind slightly distracted. As she walked, she came across Sakura Airi, a student from Class D. Ayaki already knew a lot about her. Sakura was actually an idol who hid her identity behind fake glasses and a reserved demeanor. She was incredibly uncomfortable when around other students. In the future, Sakura would end up falling in love with Ayanokoji after he helped her during a difficult time. Ayaki found her fascinating. She was a sweet person who hid an inner strength.

Ayaki's gaze met Sakura's. Ayaki gave her a big, warm smile. However, Sakura immediately lowered her eyes, clearly embarrassed, and walked away almost running, as if the situation made her too uncomfortable. Ayaki wasn't offended. She knew that Sakura wasn't acting out of malice, but simply because she was extremely shy. Still, something seemed different today. Sakura looked even more uncomfortable than usual. Ayaki, already knowing the plot from her memories of the light novel, quickly understood why. She remembered this scene perfectly. Sakura had witnessed something serious.

Ayaki thought quickly. It's Sudo's fight, she recalled. Sakura saw everything and even took photos with her pink camera. This will have a big impact on Class D. So, she decided to head back to the classroom, fully aware of the importance of the events to come.

When she entered the classroom, Ayaki went to sit in her usual spot. As she passed by, she greeted several classmates with a nod or a small smile.

"Hey, Ayaki!" Ike called out with his usual enthusiasm.

"Yo, Ike," she replied simply as she took her seat.

She wasn't exactly popular, but that didn't bother her. She preferred to stay in the background, observing others rather than drawing attention to herself. It was her way of keeping control of the situation.

A few minutes later, Chiyabashira-sensei entered the classroom. Immediately, a sense of nervousness spread among the students, something the teacher didn't miss.

"The class seems restless today," she remarked, casting her sharp gaze over the students.

Ike, always direct, stood up from his chair and exclaimed, "Sae-chan-sensei! Why haven't we gotten our class points this month? We all passed the exams, and no one was late or absent. What's going on?"

There was a note of worry in his voice. Like him, many students were wondering why their hard work hadn't been rewarded. After all, everyone had worked hard to improve their results lately.

Chiyabashira-sensei raised an eyebrow at Ike's boldness but replied calmly, "Don't jump to conclusions, Ike. You did all work hard, and I understand your frustration."

Satisfied with having received an answer, Ike sat back down with a sigh, though his face still showed signs of irritation. Chiyabashira-sensei turned to the board and began writing down the point totals for each class. The numbers appeared quickly, and Ayaki, who had anticipated the situation, sighed inwardly.

Here come the consequences of Sudo's fight... she thought.

Class A had 1,004 points, an impressive number that caused some students in Class D to murmur with concern. The gap between the two classes was gigantic. Then, Chiyabashira-sensei wrote down Class D's score: 87 points. It was a pitiful number. Ayaki sighed again. Sure, Class D hadn't stayed at zero, but they were far from where they had hoped to be.

Ike, however, jumped up in excitement when he saw that they had at least earned some points.

"Ha! 87 points! It's better than nothing, right?" he exclaimed, a silly grin on his face.

But not everyone shared his enthusiasm. Horikita, for example, sat in silence, her face dark. Her eyes were fixed on the board, visibly frustrated by the class's low score. She, who dreamed of elevating Class D to the top and reaching Class A, saw her ambitions constantly being thwarted. Ayaki glanced at Horikita, then turned her head toward Ayanokoji. He seemed to be murmuring something to Horikita, but she was too far away to hear their conversation. It made her smile. Always whispering mysterious things, she thought, watching Ayanokoji.