A Tyrant's Will

SS3: Sakayanagi Arisu - Fog of War

I took a seat in the far corner, scanning my surroundings with care. My assistant, Masumi-san, stood nearby, tapping her foot in annoyance.

"It's been 15 minutes. He's not going to show up."

"Patience, Masumi-san. He'll turn up eventually."

She frowned. "How do you know?"

"Curiosity. Regardless of whether he intends to boast, he will be interested in hearing what I have to say under these circumstances."

The person in question probably assumed I would shrink back and vanish. If that was the case, they were mistaken. I had anticipated an uneventful school life, yet it seemed this place might prove more entertaining than I originally thought.

Masumi-san clicked her tongue in annoyance but made no further comment. We were seated in a small café on the second floor of Keyaki Mall. At this hour, only a handful of students lingered nearby.

Finally, the other party arrived, hands shoved into his pockets.

"It's rude to make a lady wait," I said, taking a sip of my coffee.

"You hardly qualify as a lady. Calling you a small child would be more accurate."

I expected such comments from someone of Ryuuen-kun's caliber, so I didn't bother responding.

"So? Did you call me here just to complain about your loss? I don't have any interest in listening to your whining."

Ryuuen-kun sat down, slinging an arm lazily over the back of his chair. He signaled to the subordinate behind him, who immediately scrambled toward the counter to order his drink.

"Oh, not at all. I intend to use this chance to observe my future opponent thoroughly."

A glint of amusement flashed in his eyes. "That's rich, given the position you're in right now."

"It seems you're under the impression that I won't be able to regain my position as class leader. This is nothing more than a minor setback, Ryuuen-kun."

"Oh, really?" Ryuuen-kun flashed a grin. "75% of the class. That's what you need, isn't it? Hard to imagine anyone lining up behind you after your disastrous performance."

Every month, I had the option of requesting a class vote. If thirty students supported me, I would be reinstated as class representative. Then again, such a condition was almost redundant. If that many of them were on my side, I would effectively be the leader already.

"Admittedly, my influence has diminished. But Katsuragi-kun's approach to leadership is ineffective. In time, the flaws in his strategy will become evident, and the class will realize that his defensive tactics will lead nowhere."

A good portion of my faction had defected to Katsuragi-kun's side, hoping a change in leadership would yield better results. Only a select few chose to remain loyal despite the outcome. Still, I couldn't complain too much; this gave me a clearer picture of where everyone truly stood.

"Sure, maybe. But it'll take a while. Katsuragi will crawl into hiding, avoiding any confrontation while desperately trying to preserve points. Meanwhile, you'll have no choice but to sit there helplessly, watching from the sidelines."

As expected, this man had already read Katsuragi-kun like a book. Class C would be eaten alive sooner or later, and by none other than the man sitting across from me. Katsuragi-kun was simply too predictable to pose any real threat.

"The opposing faction will collapse sooner than you expect, Ryuuen-kun. It would not surprise me if Katsuragi-kun lost his position entirely within a single month."