Masterpiece: One final Test

Chapter 2: S-System

As I stepped into the classroom, the murmur of voices filled the air. Most of the students were back from their break, settling into their seats, chatting idly before the next class began. I scanned the room briefly, not because I was looking for anything in particular, but out of habit. 

I noticed Sudo sitting at his desk, his red hair and tall frame making him hard to miss. His expression lit up the moment he saw me enter.

"Yo, Ayanokoji!" Sudo called out, waving me over with a casual grin. "Come here for a sec!"

I hesitated for a moment, then made my way over to him. As I approached, I noticed two other students standing near his desk—both of them familiar from earlier. Ike, the one who had loudly declared his love for girls during the introductions, and Yamauchi, the guy who had boasted about his insane sports achievements.

When I got closer, Sudo gave me a confident grin. "I was just tellin' Ike and Yamauchi here about what happened earlier with those upperclassmen," he said, leaning back in his chair like he was getting ready to launch into a story.

Ike looked at me, his eyes with curiosity, clearly eager to hear more. Yamauchi, on the other hand, didn't seem to remember me, despite us being in the same class. His expression was blank, as if he was just waiting for Sudo to entertain him.

"Yeah, man," Sudo continued, his voice growing more animated. "So I was just mindin' my own business, right? When outta nowhere, these three upperclassmen show up, actin' all tough like they own the place."

Ike leaned in, clearly hooked by Sudo's energy.

Sudo grinned even wider, his arms crossing in a confident pose. "So, naturally, I squared up, ready to take 'em all on. They didn't stand a chance. I was about to knock the first guy out with one punch—just one punch!—when this guy showed up." He pointed at me, as if I had appeared in some heroic fashion.

I stayed silent, watching as the story spun further out of control. Sudo was clearly enjoying himself, his exaggerated gestures and dramatic pauses drawing in Ike and Yamauchi with every word.

"Yeah, man," Sudo continued, nodding enthusiastically. "I was just about to take all three of 'em down, no problem. They were shakin' in their boots, man. But then Ayanokoji here stepped in right before I was about to lay the blow. They got lucky, really. If he hadn't come along, I'd have wiped the floor with 'em."

Yamauchi's eyes widened as he glanced between Sudo and me. "For real? You were about to beat up three upperclassmen just like that?"

Sudo leaned back in his chair again, clearly relishing the attention. "Oh yeah. Easy. They didn't stand a chance." He gave me a grin, as if expecting something from me.

I glanced at Sudo, then at Ike and Yamauchi. The entire situation was absurd, but somehow amusing. In reality, Sudo had been ready to escalate things without thinking, and my intervention had simply prevented him from getting into trouble. But this version of the story, where Sudo was the nearly victorious hero? It was harmless enough.

I considered playing along, but decided against it. "It didn't exactly happen like that," I said in my usual monotone, hoping to deflate some of the exaggeration.

Ike and Yamauchi both stared at me, waiting for clarification.

Sudo laughed, waving a hand dismissively. "Ayanokoji's just bein' humble. Anyway, that's the gist of it. I could've handled it."

Could you, though? I thought to myself, though I didn't voice it. Sudo's confidence was almost charming in its own way, even if the story had spiraled far from the truth.

"Man, that's awesome!" Ike said, clearly impressed by Sudo 's tale. "You're like a total badass, man."

Yamauchi nodded in agreement, though it was clear he was more interested in the entertainment factor than the actual truth. "Yeah, sounds like something I've done too, man. Though it would have been impossible to stop me."