Eyeing my pen as it danced across my book's pages, I diligently compiled a summary of the notes provided by the teacher occupying the podium.
As always, I already knew what was being taught and only took time to write so as not to lose points for being unscholarly.
That aside, I recently observed that a few members of the class had begun busying themselves with matters regarding their person instead of paying attention or atleast pretending to note down our teachings.
To the far right corner of the room, Sudo sat upright, trying and failing to stop himself from dozing off as he unwillingly succumbed to his lethargy with a growing yawn. No doubt he was up late last night. Probably on his device.
In the exact center of the room was Koenji, admiring himself in his hand held mirror. Though his behavior wasn't unusual, it still impacted our class points negatively.
Lastly, the most problematic of the bunch. Yamauchi and Ike. They were playing games while trying to be discreet; using their books as shields to cover themselves from the prying eyes of our subject teacher.
It was ineffective and unnecessary as Mr Sakagami was already well aware of their antics but simply chose to ignore them.
Out of 40 students, those two were the first to revert to their usual conduct. It wasn't surprising. Now that the first month has passed, and the danger of losing points has become near obsolete, the urge to behave isn't as strong as it once was.
Should this continue, it won't be long until the others follow suit, causing our point total to plummet as a consequence.
Afterall, not being faced with any immediate repercussions emboldens their indolence. Some might even justify it as them simply 'taking a break from the stress' when in actuality they just don't want to work.
Due to the school's lenience, there isn't any guarantee of stopping them using the faculty unless it is deeply engraved into them that their actions have consequences.
As the saying goes, 'a loose leash breeds a spoiled dog, but, a tight one makes it rebellious.'
In other words, too much leniency fosters incompetence, while too much restriction leads to rebellion.
Suddenly, a boy cried out. "Ow!" Actually, he monotoned.
It was low enough that it didn't disrupt the class, however, it did draw a few curious gazes, albeit briefly, "Was that really necessary?"
I glanced back to see Ayanokoji soothing his arm while directing his gaze to his right. Following his line of sight, I found Horikita swiftly hiding away an item; presumably her compass.
"Remember, we aren't that far off from Class D. Getting caught slacking off will only make it easier for them to catch up." She gracefully picked up her pen and began writing down the notes from the board.
If he were anyone else, they would be visibly irritated by her actions and probably reciprocate them. But the fact of the matter is, he wasn't.
"I'm pretty sure wielding violence is to the same effect. Also, you could've simply shook me awake, you didn't have to stab me."
Horikita's reply was instant, "My method was more effective. Look, your drowsiness has worn off already."
I could practically feel Ayanokoji's displeasure as he fell silent with a sigh. He didn't seem particularly enthused about writing either, but who could blame him, it's not like the lessons were entertaining in any way.
Returning my attention to the front of the class, my eyes briefly locked with Kushida's. She flashed me a quick smile before returning to her notebook.
Last night, she texted me, informing me of her conversation with Ayanokoji. Apparently he told her that it was Horikita's idea to include her in the study group. So she asked me if it was the truth and I told her it was.
Having her believe that was the case would probably boost her confidence and make it easier for them to interact without suspecting another motive.
Due to my advice, Kushida hasn't approached Horikita unnecessarily and annoyed her today which means she won't react too strongly to conversing when next they do so.
I wrote until the clock struck 10, casually leaning against a column while closing my book.
We were allowed a 30 minute interval to converse until the start of our next class.
As our English teacher closed the door behind him, the class gradually descended into chatter with individuals like Ike and Yamauchi talking noticeably louder than most.
"Thighs, boobs or asses? Be honest, which one is better?" Ike asked, crossing his arms with a scrutinizing gaze directed at his idiotic counterpart.
Yamauchi smiled proudly, he seemed as though he had absolute confidence in his answer, "Ha, that's easy. Tits, it's gotta be tits."
"Why?" Ike pressed.
Yamauchi snorted condescendingly, "Whaddyu mean why? I just like em. They're soft and squishy and always staring back at you."
Ike nodded in understanding.
"Makes sense, Makes sense. I like em too. Especially the big ones." He gestured with a greedy smile, eyes briefly drifting to the front of the class.
"I get what you mean! Man, what I'd give to hold a pair of juicy melons!" The other idiot shivered, cursing to the heavens as he clenched and shook his fists.
"Yeah...What about you Ken? Which one do you like?" Drifting out of his drowsiness, Sudo yawned while stretching his limbs.
"Ion know, thighs probably?" He slurred softly after a while.
Yamauchi's eyes glimmered, "Oho~ care to explain?"
Releasing yet another yawn, Sudo's eyes fluttered close, "They're yawn kinda soft I guess."
"Huh, guess you're right." Yamauchi agreed, "Tits are better though." He asserted with a shrug.
Sudo didn't seem too interested in the conversation seeing as he immediately dosed off upon resting his head on his desk.
The girls close by stared at them with avid disgust, Shinohara in particular. Even though she wasn't seated anywhere nearby she had been actively listening in and was revulsed by their conversation to the point she seemed angry.
"Ugh, disgusting creeps." Their standing among the girls was already exceedingly low, but, this brief conversation only served to worsen that fact.
Even though Sudo wasn't as invested in the conversation as the other two, his notoriety had once again increased simply by being Ike and Yamauchi's associate.
I pitied him.
With friends like those, he'll never improve.
My eyes roamed the noisy classroom, eventually settling on the nonchalant smile of Matsushita Chiaki. She was seated at her desk with her palm holding up her head as she and Sato conversed.
"Chiaki." I called, standing and jerking my head towards the door, "A word please." The girl in question stiffened. So too did her companion as their wide eyes snapped towards my direction.
"H-Wuh?" The brunette fumbled over her words before quickly regaining her composure.
With a deep breath, she got up.
"Sure, I'll be right there." Even though she was hiding it, her slight blush was an indicator to her embarrassment.
"Oya~ What's this? You're suddenly on a first name basis and you're even having a secret rendezvous in the middle of the day? What's up with that?" Sato snickered.
A few of the students nearby watched our exchange, forcing Chiaki to clarify the misunderstanding.
"You already know it's not like that."
"Sure it isn't, although~ I didn't know you had that kinda interest him." She giggled to herself and Matsushita rolled her eyes as she rested a hand on the girl's shoulder.
"You really don't believe me huh?"
Sato's eyes narrowed playfully, "Nope. Not one bit."
Chiaki sighed, "Then, how can I get you to believe what I say?"
"Good of you to ask Chiaki-chan." Crossing her arms, Sato leaned forward slightly and peered into my eyes with a mischievous allure whereafter she closed them and assumed the posture of a pious noble.
"But unfortunately for you there's nothing you can do to change my mind."
Chiaki smiled lightly, "Is that so?"
Contrary to what you'd expect though, her smile was anything but friendly. It reminded me of how an irritated mother would react to her child's stupidity.
"Yep, there's absolutely nothing you can— Itetetet?!" Sato suddenly screamed, practically jumping out of her seat in process.
Chiaki regarded her companion with an amicable gaze whilst slowly pulling on her cheek. She twisted it.
"Have mercy! I give! I give!" Sato could only tap out when faced with such pain. After a time, Chiaki released her.
"Now, what were you saying earlier?"
"Haha, actually..." Sato averted her eyes whilst soothing her cheek, "It might not be such a good idea to repeat that."
"Glad to hear it." Saying that, Chiaki followed me out the back door and into the hallway.
Because of Sato's outburst though, most of the class had begun staring at us.
A few of the girls were whispering amongst themselves. They were probably questioning our relationship now that Sato had brought up the topic.
On the other hand, the boys, Ike and Yamauchi in particular, stared at me as if I'd just committed an unforgivable sin.
Matsushita's reaction didn't serve as a good deterrent it seems.
I ignored them all and closed the door.
"Sorry about that. Sato can be kinda childish sometimes."
Turning around, I saw the blue eyed brunette release a prolonged sigh as she dropped her shoulders, "Now there's bound to be a few rumours going around about us."
"It's fine." I assured, "Though I'm at fault for referring to you by your first name so suddenly. Had I known her reaction would be so dramatic I wouldn't have done it."
Rumours like those can be easily quashed, so long as they're cleared up in the early stages of its circulation that is.
"Oh. Yeah, about that." She smiled at me halfheartedly, "I don't have a problem with it. But, I'm curious, what made you do that all of the sudden?"
"Isn't that how friends usually address each other?" I asked. She looked at me for a moment before snorting with a mischievous glint in her eye.
"Hehhh~I thought you said you didn't need any friends, Monty-kun." She teased as a smirk slowly made its way up her lips, "Am I that special?"
"Don't get ahead of yourself, Matsushita. You're not my first friend." I said.
"As for why I called you, I'm sure you already know."
Closing an eye, Chiaki levelled me with a confident grin as she leaned forward.
"It's the study group, right? Horikita-san's? You probably want me to round them up again don't you."
I nodded.
She sighed, "If what Maya-chan told me is true, it'll take a bit more difficult convincing them to stay."
"What did she tell you?"
"Well, last Friday they told her in a group chat that they don't like Horikita-san too much." She snorted, "They were even planning on hiding her shoes as payback for how she talked to them."
Raising her index finger, she continued, "Buuut they decided against it after Ayanokoji-kun told them Kushida-san wouldn't like that. I'm honestly surprised that they admire her that much." She finished with a slight frown, "It's kinda creepy."
Just then her eyes seemed to widen as if she had come to a realization.
Leaning against the wall, I slipped my hands into my pockets while peering out the window, watching as the cotton-like clouds cruised across the inverted ocean; uninterrupted by the shenanigans of those occupying the world below.
Following our talk on Saturday, she didn't seem to have made any changes in her approach to school life. If anything, she went about things the exact same way.
Though she does seem more willing to help out now, seeing as she hasn't demanded anything in return for her services; which was undoubtedly a great improvement.
Anyhow, donning a look of perplexity, I crossed my right leg over the other, I nudged her to voice her thoughts.

"They do seem to value her opinion an awful lot. I'm sure if she herself had asked them to not speak ill of Horikita they truly wouldn't."
"Yeah..." Chiaki nodded absentmindedly, as a soothing silence befell the empty hall.
She gazed at the ground, eyes shifting about slowly in contemplation before narrowing a tad.
"...I think I've got an idea." Her eyes lifted to meet mine, "What if we told them that Kushida joined Horikita's group? If they heard that then I'm sure they'll be more willing to cooperate. Also, if we managed to convince Horikita to apologize, then them rejoining is practically guaranteed isn't it?"
As I thought, even Matsushita could come up with a plan like that on her own when provided a similar degree of information.
"You're right." I agreed, "Which is why Horikita has already recruited Kushida. She's planning on inviting Sudo, Ike and Yamauchi so that she can mend their relationship."
Facepalming, Chiaki released an exasperated sigh, "Seriously? If she's already executing the plan then why do you even need my help? I mean, Kushida's already there so I'm not exactly needed am I?"
Facepalming, Chiaki released an exasperated sigh, "Seriously? If she's already executing the plan then why do you even need my help? I mean, Kushida's already there so I'm not exactly needed am I?"
"You're wrong actually."
She quirked a brow, "Yeah, how so?"
"Well, for things to go smoothly it needs to seem natural. They mustn't know that Kushida's involved until after gathering." I informed, "If she called for them herself then they may suspect that Horikita used their feelings for Kushida to get to them. But in your case, it's different."
"Because they don't feel the same about me right?" She answered her question with a half squint.
Slipping both hands into my pockets, I nodded in approval, "Not only that, they already know you're only a messenger so they probably won't feel that dissatisfied by or forced to comply with your request."
"Ohhh, I see...I'm just a messenger huh?" Chiaki regarded me with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
She rested a hand on my shoulder and I stared at her appendage. That hit a nerve it seems.
"Well, considering you only relay messages to them, that'll be their natural assumption." I wiggled out of her grip just as it had begun to tighten and quickly stepped out of reach.
"Monty-kun?" Tilting her head inquisitively, the blue eyed brunette asked me a question, "You okay? Why'd you move back so suddenly?"
"You were planning to pinch me weren't you?" I threw a question back at her.
Chiaki raised a hand to her chest, feigning shock, "What? I would ne~ver."
"Should we call Sato to verify that?"
She immediately dropped the act, "Tch, you'd better watch out."
Resting both arms on her waist, she took a breath and dropped her shoulders.
"Jokes aside, I'll see what I can do this afternoon. If I don't manage to convince them, then don't be disappointed."
With that, I nodded and turned to open the door. As I was about to, however, I looked towards the end of the corridor where I saw the red head from the second day. He was talking to someone with blue hair before both went inside a classroom. I glanced up and narrowed my eyes at the signboard.
"Hm? What is it?" Chiaki asked, staring up at me quizzically.
"I'm curious," I said, observing the signboard for a while longer I mirrored her quizzical gaze, "Why did Sato join their group?"
Her head leaned into a tilt as she voiced her reply, "About that, Karuizawa-san asked her to. She wanted to keep tabs on those three to make sure they weren't planning anything nefarious."
It was a decent plan. With her presence, it would be quite difficult for them to discuss anything that contained perverted intentions. Only, there was one crucial flaw she had overlooked.
"You do know they can simply create another group or talk in person, right?" My brow lifted expectantly as the blue eyed girl released a shallow breath.
Her shoulders raised into a quick shrug with her gaze turning away as I began to open the door, "If they do, then that's that I guess. It's not like I actually care to know what those guys get up to in their free time."
"And, even if they did come up with something behind our backs, I doubt it'd work since they're not smart enough to carry it out while keeping it on the down low."
"I suppose you're not wrong."
Ending the discussion there, Chiaki entered the room; making her way towards her seat whereafter she continued conversing with Sato.
I closed the door behind me.
Suddenly, I found myself face to face with two of the three unanimously proclaimed idiots. They were glaring daggers into my skull while wearing angry expressions.
I had half a mind to shove them aside and proceed to my seat, but decided against it as I could make use of this opportunity.
"Do you need something?" I asked calmly.
Stepping closer, Ike's hand found itself trapped in my shirt collar as he squeezed it's white fabric and leaned in close, "How'd a nerd like you snag a hottie like that you bastard!!" He whisper yelled into my ear with a seemingly pained expression, "Ughhhh I'm so jealoussss!!!"
I stared at the shorter boy in silence before closing my eyes and sighing, "That's not my problem now is it?"
"Hah?! Look at this prick. He thinks he's cool cuz he's got a girl? I bet she doesn't even like you." Yamauchi sneered, twisting his face in a way that screamed, 'Be afraid! Be very afraid!' as he drew even closer to me.
"We aren't dating." I enunciated clearly enough for the percentage of the class that was observing could hear, "Also, let me go."
"Oh yeah? Or what?" Ike taunted, tightening his grip.
I leaned back whilst reached for Ike's wrist. I don't even know what this hormone druggy does with his hands at night so I'd rather he not touch me.
Carefully, I pried his phalanges off of my shirt while maintaining eye contact.
"It seems you've already forgotten about the camera." I tilted my head towards the item stationed in the top corner of the room, "Surely you don't want us to lose points for misconduct. Right?"
Upon hearing my words, a good amount of the spectators widened their eyes in fear.
Excluding Koenji, the main slackers reacted even more strongly than the rest. Their faces were ridden with anxiety and the faintest traces of guilt.
"I suggest you refrain from doing anything that may jeaprodize our standing going forward seeing as our class' promotion means nothing if we end up regressing due to repeated idiocy and stubbornness." I articulated with a frown.
The short pervert gritted his teeth as he went to speak, but I cut him off while readjusting my collar with a well timed exhale, "And no, I'm not calling you idiots. But, that will be the case should you ignore my warning."
Adjusting my glasses at the bridge of my nose, I glanced over to Yamauchi for a while before casting them to the broad shoulders of a sleeping student and then back to Ike. "We all came here to secure our future, but, if we can't do that because of irrational decisions then... I'm afraid we don't have our best interest at heart."
"Wouldn't you agree?"
The shorter male stood before me, his eyes widening slightly. Seconds later, they lowered in what seemed to be a rare moment of contemplation. From the look on his face, I could tell that he was seriously considering my words.
"Honestly, I think he's got a point."
"Yeah, me too...Acting up isn't gonna help us gain points at all." Words of agreement flowed freely from Shinohara and Karuizawa respectively. Hirata followed up with a timely nod of affirmation and addressed the class.
"Everyone, I think we all should take Monty-kun's words to heart." He said, "While we did manage to overtake Class C in the first month, there's no guarantee that we can maintain our spot or even advance further than we already have if we don't exhibit the proper behavior."
Following Hirata's short speech, multiple members of the class mumbled to themselves and discussed with their neighbours before unanimously coming to an agreement.
Due to not only Karuizawa and Shinohara, but Hirata as well, taking my side, my words had a much stronger impact on the class.
"Sh-shut up! So what if we play a little?! It's not like we'll be kicked out or anything! It's just a lil harmless fun, ain't that right Kanji?" Yamauchi tried to justify his actions by seeking back up from his partner in crime.
Ike's face scrunched slightly as sweat began to build up on his forehead. He looked up to the front of the class where Kushida sat. She was conveniently asleep.
Sighing in relief, the shorter of the two perverts smirked, "Yeah, you're right! I don't have to listen to you! Imma do what I want."
"Yeah!" They both cheered. I'm sure most of the class now shared one collective thought, 'They really are idiots.'
"My, you pair of clots are as gullible as you are gabby." Koenji voiced his thoughts, "It is an honor for you peasants to even reside in the presence of one as great as I, so it would behoove you to have it remain as such."
He observed himself in his mirror, carefully combing a single stray strand of his hair back into place. His eyes exuded a strange crimson luster as his mirror angled in my general direction, "I assure you, should you aim to see my image marred, it shan't be long before you come to regret that decision."
"Shut up Koenji! No one cares what you think!" Ike blurted out, snarling. Yamauchi backed him.
"Yeah, get off your high horse and talk properly! This is the 21st century man not the 1800's!"
The target of their disdain merely chortled aloud and returned to grooming himself. He seemed to be genuinely amused, though I don't think it had anything to do with Yamauchi and Ike.
It felt more like...
Anyhow, excluding his bout of self praise, I agreed with him.
Ike is someone that's easily influenced while Yamauchi always wants to be an influence. An admittedly bad one at that.
If they don't outgrow their perfunctory, surface-level mindset soon, they'll be nothing short of a liability to the class in the long run.
I peered down at the red head seated to my right. He looked to have been sleeping throughout the whole ordeal, but, that wasn't actually the case. His breathing pattern was much too irregular.
Of course he could just be having a bad dream, but his heart rate hadn't increased so that wasn't actually a possibility.
I was certain he heard every word I said down to the last letter.
He had higher reasoning ability than the other two so I wasn't worried about him disregarding what I said. Especially considering how close to home my words had hit.
Anyway, I already said my piece so there's no more reason to engage with these two further.
Without wasting another word on them, I stepped past the two idiots and slipped my hands into my pockets upon taking my seat.
My eyes shifted from Kushida's back towards where Ike and Yamauchi continued conversing.
It's annoying but going about it that way would be best I suppose.
"Are you reconsidering their expulsion by chance?" Came Horikita's condescending voice.
Deciding not to acknowledge her joke, I continued ruminating on the thought in silence. However, Ayanokoji thought it good to rebuke her.
He said, "That's a cruel thing to say, Horikita. If they found out what you said it would probably hurt their feelings."
If it wasn't for how monotonous he always sounds I'd think he was actually concerned for their feelings.
"I wasn't being serious." The black haired girl crossed her arms in front of her, her demeanor exuding an aura of finality, "Even so, aside from a possible point deficit, losing those two won't be too much of a detriment would it?"
"It would probably cost us enough for Class D to overtake us with a sizeable lead. In that case, any hope we have of reaching Class A would most likely be snuffed out and, as a consequence, the class would probably end up falling apart and descend into chaos soon after."
After hearing out her detached reasoning Ayanokoji responded with a valid yet more ruthless thesis of his own.
"It's honestly quite scary to think about." He finished.
The boys words hung in the air just long enough for Horikita to sort out her thoughts.
"Hmm..." Idly tapping her index against her elbow, she spoke up, "You do make some sense. However I find your thought process to be overly pessimistic Ayanokoji-kun. Are you perhaps feeling depressed?"
"How on earth did you come to that conclusion?"
"Well, people with depression tend to be either overly negative or enthusiastic about certain things they otherwise wouldn't be. And considering your unusually dispiriting hypothetical I thought that must be the case." A small smile found its way up her features.
She must be feeling quite proud of her witticism.
Without turning around I already could tell that Ayanokoji felt equally as disturbed as I did upon witnessing her expression.
I heard his chair rattle a little, likely due to him moving further away from her, "Monty, are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Came his fearful query.
Ofcourse, his tone hadn't changed at all. I simply inferred as such from the nature of his question.
"No, I don't." I am quite literally unable to 'see what he is seeing' given that my eyes are currently closed.
"Do you think she might be an imposter posing as Horikita?"
"What are you two mumbling about over there?" I could imagine her gaze being just as penetrating as her question.
"Ayanokoji said he wants to tell you something."
"Hey!"
"Is that so? Well get on with it then."
"Uh..." Leaving the boy to deal with the red eyed beauty on his own, I relished in the soft winds blowing through the half opened window.
-.-
-Ayanokoji's POV-
School has ended for the day. Currently, Monty, Kushida, Horikita and I were heading towards the library with out bags in tow while walking in the aforementioned order.
It was a relatively quiet and peaceful journey until Kushida broke the silence.
"Hey, Horikita-san." Kushida's called.
"What?"
"I've just been wondering...Why are you helping Sudo-kun and the others? I thought for sure you didn't like them." She raised her hands in a placating gesture.
"Of course, I'm glad that you decided to help them! It's just, I was curious about whether you might have had a change of heart."
It would sound like an idiotic question to most, but, considering who it was directed at, it was quite a valid ask.
My eyes shifted to the dark haired girl on my right. She continued looking ahead whilst maintaining an even stride, "Don't misunderstand. I'm not doing this for them."
Kushida asked, "Are you saying you're doing this for yourself then?" Tilting her head slightly as we stepped through the open door.
"Yes, I am." Came Horikita's curt response, "Is that a problem?" Her gaze flitted over to Kushida who regarded her with a sad look and a placating wave of the hand.
"No, no. No problem here, hehe."
I stared up at the expansive ceiling of the library building, watching as the fluorescent lights shone like stars scattered across the cosmos.
Taking our seats at an empty table, we rested our bags atop it. However, Monty didn't sit just yet, he instead went over to another free table and placed his bag there before coming back and quietly taking a seat next to Kushida.
Opening her bag, Horikita began unpacking the study materials without delay. I caught sight of Kushida regarding the girl with a scrutinizing gaze however.
"Say, Horikita-san. You're doing this so you can get to Class A right?"
"Obviously." Horikita replied and continued unpacking, "There wouldn't be much need to bother myself otherwise."
Kushida paused for a moment, "Do you really think it's possible? To reach Class A that is."
Horikita's response was almost immediate, "I don't see a reason why not." She said, "We've already overtaken Class C in just the first month. Also, the gap between us and the other classes isn't so huge that we can't catch up with enough effort on our part."
"Hmm," Kushida tilted her head cutely, "I guess that makes sense. Are you guys aiming for Class A too then?" She pointed left and right to myself and Monty respectively.
"Yes, they're both working as my assistants." Horikita spoke up on our behalf.
"I understand." Kushida nodded, smiling, "I want in."
Horikita raised a brow in response, "You're already a member of the study group."
"No, not for that," The class angel clarified, "I want to work on getting up to Class A with you."
Horikita seemed to slightly stiffen at her words before her gaze flickered to those of us boys.
"I would...appreciate that." She conceded, "If everything goes well with the study group, I'll consider accepting your help moving forward."
Kushida's eyes widened as a beaming smile broke out onto her face, "Really?! Yay!" Came her delighted squeal.
"I look forward to working with you again Horikita-san, Ayanokoji-kun, Monty-kun!" She giggled with excitement as she said that.
It was nice of her to volunteer. It saved me the trouble of having to navigate the discussion for Horikita to bring it up.
Even though she dislikes Kushida, thanks to myself, Monty and the Student Council President's imfluence, Horikita now understands that she has no choice but to acknowledge Kushida's value if she really wanted to make it to Class A seeing as working alone won't really do much to further her plan.
Crossing her arms under her chest, Horikita posed. A question, "Monty-kun, when will they be arriving?"
Without a word, the boy in question jerked his head towards the door that had just now swung open to reveal a visibly perplexed Ike and Yamauchi.
Their sour expressions were definitely due to the fact that Horikita was the one requesting their presence. Had it been Kushida, they would've probably been on cloud nine.
Soon after, their gazes locked onto Kushida and like a light switch, their whole mood changed.
"Kushida-chan!" Ike waved vigorously as he and Yamauchi hurried over to our table, "Whatcha doin' here in the library?"
Smiling, the aforementioned girl tilted her head with a soft chuckle, "Well, as it turns out, I'm a part of Horikita-san's study group now."
"Oh, you are? That's great!" Ike laughed before suddenly turning pale. Yamauchi was in a similar state, only he had a nervous look on his face.
"W-wait, Kushida-chan, could you repeat that?" A massive amount of sweat collected on Yamauchi's rather sizeable forehead as he posed the question.
Wow, he was really sweating bullets.
"Oh, sure. I'm a member of Horikita-san's study group." She reiterated.
"Uh huh... Gimme a sec." Turning around, he called Ike and they both huddled over while discussing something. They were probably reconsidering their course of action.
If I'm not wrong, originally, they planned on listening to Horikita's apology and then reject any offer she would make for them to rejoin.
But now that they've been alerted of Kushida's presence, that sort of response wouldn't be appropriate as it would lower their standing with her, decreasing any chances of either of them getting with her.
Though, I doubt they had any chances in the first place.
Nevertheless, there was something amusing about a council of fools deliberating in the middle of the library. You just know they were speaking utter nonsense.
I watched in silence as the duo performed a series of nods and mutterings before straightening and turning back towards us with a set of opportunistic smiles.
"Ahem," Yamauchi cleared his throat, lifting an arm to scratch the back of his head, "So uh, you're a part of Horikita-san's group now huh?"
Kushida nodded, "Mhm. I joined yesterday."
Ike averted his gaze with a nervous grin, "O-oh yeah? Well, y'know, we're a part of her study group too. So I guess we'll be studying together from now on."
As if surprised, Kushida's eyes widened, "Really?! That's great!" She clapped enthusiastically a few moments prior to tilting her head in confusion, "But wait, I'm pretty sure Horikita-san called you here because you're not members of her group."
The two visibly paled as they began sputtering about, "Y-yeah, about that, we—"
"We quit." Another voice rang out. This time it was Sudo's.
He walked up to our table with his bag slung over his shoulder and a hand casually stuffed into his pocket.
"Can I ask why?" Kushida asked. Sudo's reply was immediate.
"Cuz she was actin' bitchy." Came his unfiltered response, "We only came today cuz we heard she'll give us an apology." His narrowed eyes shifted to Horikita's as he continued, "Anyways, we're here now so get it over with. I've got club after this."
"Ha—haha, yeah what he said." Ike agreed nervously.
Horikita's hands balled into loose fists as her gaze sharpened. Even though she did agree to apologize, she was finding it difficult to say the words now that the moment was actually upon her.
Closing her eyes for a short while, she reopened them a few seconds later as she parted her mouth to speak, "Before that, I ask, won't you try studying with me one more time?"
Sudo scowled, raising his voice, "I already told you I—"
"Yes, I'm aware, you don't want to study. Much less with me." She clarified whilst crossing her arms, "However, what choice do you have? Unlike studying, cramming the night before an exam won't guarantee a passing grade especially considering the amount of material you need to cover during that time."
The red head paused, his eyes narrowing into a hesitant squint before hardening again, "I'll take my chances, I don't want your stupid charity. So if you're not gonna apologize then there's no point in me stayin' here."
Horikita unfolded her arms in resignation, "I suppose if that's what you want. I'll tell you."
"I don't want just any apology. It better be sincere." The redhead warned.
Taking a deep breath, Horikita spoke, "Truthfully, I never intended to apologize."
His fists tightened, "The hell?! Just apologize and Quit messing around wouldja!"
"I'm not. I hate you Sudo-kun. Truly, I do." Horikita reiterated.
"But our mutual abhorrence is trivial right now." She added, pointing to herself then to him, "I will teach you for my own sake. You will do your best for your own sake. Understand?"
As I'd expected, instead of apologizing, Horikita spat harsh words at Sudo, adding fuel to the fire.
When I suggested she apologize, I never once believed that she would go through with it. Though her words were harsh, they were undeniably true. Having her apologize wouldn't bode well for their relationship either, since it would come about from a few words of superficiality. And being the brutally honest and stubborn girl that she was, Horikita would likely break off contact after telling the truth.
The reason why I even bothered suggesting it in the first place was to test whether or not she was willing to resort to conforming to others' demands in pursuit of her own goal, even if it required her to be superficial.
Glancing over to the other end of the table, I eyed the glasses wearing individual carefully. From his lack of a reaction, I can infer that he had a similar train of thought.
His influence on her was quite strong though. He managed to get her to emulate the mindset of a genuinely independent person, even if only a little.
On an unrelated note, he reminds me of the student council president, in a way. It might be because of the glasses though.
"Tch! Piss off!" Sudo waved her off before turning to storm away. As he was about to, however, Horikita's calm voice pulled him back like a dog tethered to a chain.
"I understand that this may seem unreasonable coming from the person who spoke ill of you," She said, "But, if you don't work with me, neither of us will be able to realize our dreams. And I don't intend to fall short of mine."
"So what? You don't need my help to reach yours and neither do I!"
"If you think about this rationally you'll realize that isn't the case."
"Actually, I'm certain you're already aware of it." She continued, calmly strutting forward with her arms crossed under her bossom, "You just don't want to accept it."
She stopped a few inches from his scrunched up face with a serene yet sharp expression, speaking once more before he could articulate a response, "However, your continued denial won't stop me from securing your cooperation, Sudo-kun, because I am determined to make you more academically capable to support my endeavor."
A still silence befell the area. The orange eyes of the red haired delinquent widened like pin pricks as he stared at the girl in front of him with apparent surprise and a semblance of awe.
"You must really want to get up to Class A if you're willing to work with someone you hate..." Sudo pursed his lips, his eyes lowering slightly after a brief pause, "Someone like me." What fierceness he previously had already begun to fade out, leaving behind a wry grin in its place.
Horikita sighed, opening her notebook and placing it infront of him, "Yes. Otherwise, why would anyone willingly involve you?"
Sudo grew more openly annoyed in response to Horikita's incredible bluntness as he glanced down.
"The hell's this?" He asked, prompting Ike and Yamauchi to look as well.
"During the last session, I noticed that the typical style of studying didn't work for either of you. None of you understand the fundamental basics. For example, it would be like throwing a one legged dog into the ocean. The dog wouldn't have any idea where to go or how to swim."
"Also, I understand that taking time away from your hobbies will add to your stress. Therefore I've come up with a plan which accounts for that." She added.
"What kind of sorcery did you use to come up with that?"
Sudo snorted in disbelief. He could make time for both studying and club activities?
"The test is two weeks from today. You'll all study every day during class like your life depends on it."
"You're taking advantage of the fact that they don't pay attention in class correct?" Monty simplified.
"Basically."
"But isn't having them study for 6 hours a day kind of unreasonable, Horikita-san? That many hours of pure dedication will definitely be draining." Kushida chimed in.
She was right to be worried. They wasted time precisely because they couldn't study normally. If they couldn't manage to discipline themselves during class, I doubt they'd be able to understand the problems by themselves.
Their actions from the first month don't count. They were never actually writing any notes. Only pretending. Which means that they couldn't study on their own even if they wanted to.
"That's why we'll only go over what they don't understand during our time between sessions. I already have the answers to all each questions written out in a very simple step by step process."
"You, Ayanokoji-kun, and I will teach them one on one between every break. This way there won't be any need for afternoon sessions unless they haven't caught up." Horikita finished, looking each of the three individuals in the eye.
Her plan saves us a lot of time by limiting outside distractions as much as possible while also allowing them to enjoy their lunch and afternoon activities like usual.
It's pretty decent.
With this, we might just be able to get them up to par in time for the mid-terms.
"Wait, so, Kushida-san's a group member too?" Sudo asked and Kishida nodded with a smile.
"Yep! I joined earlier today."
"Oh, cool."
"Man, studying's so hard though~" Ike complained while briefly glossing over the contents, "And this is alot a stuff to go through too."
"Yeah, I don't think we can learn so much with the little time we have." Yamauchi added.
"There's no need to be disheartened. I'm not saying you have to understand all the material. I just want you to memorize the information on the provided topics."
"During class you must focus only on these notes. Ignore what the teacher is saying. I'll share my notes with you afterwards." Pushing two more books forward, Horikita flipped to a specific page.
It was the information she'd derived from the topics provided in Monty's lesson plan and incorporated into her own.
It's not like Horikita's lesson plan was wrong though, it was simply incomplete. She had managed to guess over half of the exam topics on her own.
"Yeah, well, I'm not doin' it." Sudo said, plopping the book back onto the desk.
"Just try. Give it a go before you say no."
He snorted, "I'd rather spend my time differently than a bookworm like you. Besides, I don't think I could learn to study with such a simple, cheap trick."
"You're mistaken. There are no shortcuts or cheap tricks when it comes to studying. You just have to spend your time carefully."
Calmly, she maintained eye contact as she spoke, "That applies not only to studying, but everything else as well. Or are you telling me that there are shortcuts and cheap tricks in something like basketball?"
"Of course there aren't. You only improve by practicing all the time." Sudo inhaled sharply, surprised by his own words.
"For people who can't focus on work seriously, it's impossible. However, you put alot of effort into basketball."
"I want you to apply some of that effort to studying, even if it's just a fraction of what you have. Put in the effort so that you can continue to play basketball at this school. Don't throw away your potential by pretending to be an incompetent."
Horikita's compromise was small, but real. Sudo hesitated for a moment, his eyes flickering over to Monty before averting to the ground. He was probably recalling the words he had spoken earlier during the day. It seemed to have struck a chord in him.
He moved to speak, however, his pride got into the way at the last second and he pursed his lips, "I get what you're saying, but I'm still not convinced."
Sudo made to turn and leave, and Horikita couldn't stop him. I looked over at Monty who made no attempt to stop him either. If Sudo left now, the study group was probably dead. Normally I'd stay out of it, but it can't be helped.
"Hey, Monty. You up for a movie after this?" I asked, "I was thinking of having a group night out. You can bring Matsushita along if you'd like."
He immediately understood my plan.
Closing his eyes, his tinted green lenses grew darker due to the artificial lighting, "She would probably invite her friends, is that alright?"
I nodded airily, "Yeah. What about you, Horikita, Kushida? You coming?"
With a beaming smile, the blonde angel replied, "The more the merrier."
As her captivating gaze met my own, I felt my heart squeeze. This level of cuteness should be illegal.
"I suppose I don't have much of a choice." The ice queen sighed.
"Great, it's a date then."
As expected, Ike and Yamauchi exchanged opportunistic glances before shooting forward noisily, "I-I wanna come too!" "Yeah! Don't you dare forget about us Ayanokoji!"
Sudo on the other hand, halted mid stride as I called out to him, "What about you, Sudo? This might be your chance."
It was a bit subtler than yelling that he might get a girlfriend after this endeavor. Though, I'm certain the thought had surfaced within the minds of the other two.
Even though this plan was similar to the last one, its overall effectiveness had all but diminished. Afterall, just the mere mention of going out with girls was enough to secure their cooperation.
But my aim was to provide Sudo with a reason to join the study group without wounding his pride.
"Jeez, guess I don't have a choice. Alright, I'll join."
Kushida sighed deeply in relief.
"Remember, boys are the simplest creatures on earth."
Horikita probably agreed with me. We welcomed Sudo to our group.