Classroom of the Elite: The true Geniuses

"When you listen to good music, you have a longing for something you never had and never will have."

Ayanokouji's Pov:

"Okay, I guess this way is fine."

I was currently standing in front of my bedroom mirror, straightening up my uniform. I really don't care much about appearances like the rest of the other people, but that doesn't mean I don't take care of my appearance, I should at least look presentable to people. I really hope I won't get as many looks at me today as the looks I got yesterday, but I knew this was just an illusion.

Apparently, our different uniform draws a lot of attention, so it was impossible to avoid this. I really don't understand why Principal Sakayanagi did this. Thanks to him doing this, along with the fact that I am in a supposed genius class in the eyes of the school, my desire to want to spend my time as a normal student in this school has completely ended.

I received 2 school uniforms, and I am sure my classmates did as well.

Speaking of my classmates, they are really quite interesting. According to the school, we are geniuses in our own fields. I can guess that Sora, Shiro and Jabami are very good at games. Victorique and Ryuzaki would be the "detectives" of our class, with Light wanting to become one too. I don't know if they have actually solved cases before, but I don't doubt it, given the fact that our class is special.

I don't think Lelouch is really the gambling type, although he has bet on chess games, according to him. He gives the impression of being someone quite confident, and if I had to take a guess, I would say he would make a good leader, as would Kaguya, since she gives the same impression.

Hayasaka was a bit interesting. Her test scores were perfect in most school subjects. She seemed to be a person who would get various information easily, according to her personality, something I could never do. She is also good at physical activities, according to her presentation on the bus, just like Kaguya, who mentioned that she has practiced martial arts. However, she did not give off a vibe of being a "genius". Again, there are some classmates that I don't think are geniuses, so I can only think that the school didn't tell the true criteria for the people who were placed in my class.

Miyuki seemed to be the kind of girl who doesn't get into trouble, a polite girl. She is a bit like Light in that respect. Her brother is also a third-year student, who is apparently on the student council. However, we don't know what class he is in. I guess my classmates didn't mind asking, since he was from a different year than us.

One interesting thing about the dormitory is that there are no restrictions on the use of water or gas. However, the receptionist warned to avoid wasting either of those two as much as possible, and I affirmed this. I mean, how much water and gas would a single person be able to waste?

I also looked up the name of the game that Sora and Shiro were playing on the bus and downloaded it this morning. I was very curious about the game, but my main goal is to get closer to them, so I will ask if they can teach me how to play the game a little today.

After I finished getting ready, I got ready to leave. There was still about 30 minutes before the first class started, but I think being there earlier would be efficient. I mean, if our theories are right, tardiness or any misconduct within the classroom will reflect on the points we earn next month.

Better to be 30 minutes early than 30 minutes late, right?

I opened my bedroom door and prepared to leave. Before closing the door, I looked at my dorm room for a while before muttering.

"I'm coming."

This would be the first time I would have a place to come back to, unlike that cold, sterile white room. Even though there will be no one waiting for me when I get back to the dorm, I still feel a little happy. A really new feeling for someone cruel like me.

...

As I walked through the campus, I couldn't help but sigh. There were several people looking at me. The people were muttering some things about my uniform as they looked in my direction. Apparently they were on campus waiting until class was about to start.

Seriously, it's just a color change, stop paying attention to me...

Well, I wouldn't doubt that some people skipped today's class wanting to spend their points, because technically they will get the same amount next month. I really feel sorry for these people, I mean, who would be so dumb as to think that they are going to get 100,000 points every month without doing anything?

"Ayanokouji-kun!"

A familiar voice called my name.

When I looked back, I saw Hayasaka with her hand raised running up to me.

I stopped and waited for her, not wanting to seem like a rude person. It wasn't long before she came close to me.

"Are you going to class early too?" She asked me.

"Yes, and apparently so are you," I answered her question.

We both started walking at a leisurely pace to our class. I just ignored the looks I was getting from people, especially from the boys sending me strange looks. They looked like they were jealous and wanted to kill me, so what's their problem? I didn't do anything.

"Well, Kaguya said it would be good for us to arrive early, we are an elite type after all," she said.

"If that's the case, why didn't you come with her? Or maybe, she's probably already in the classroom?"

"Yes, when I went to her dormitory, she had already left."

"I see."

I can't help but think that something is wrong. Was it simply a coincidence that she ended up running into me at the same moment I was going to the classroom?

"So, did you manage to buy the chessboard you wanted?" She asked me. She spoke in an animated way, leaving me a little unsure of how I should act. When I looked at her, I saw her blue eyes.

She is really quite beautiful.

"Yes, I was lucky to arrive just as the store was about to close."

"Why exactly did you buy this chessboard? Maybe it's because of that proposal from Sora-kun on the bus?"

She was talking about Sora's posing of Lelouch and I playing together against him and Shiro. While it's not exactly because of that, she's not entirely wrong.

"Well, I quite like chess. It's a game I've played for quite a while of my life. As for Sora's proposal, I'm really interested to see how good he and Shiro are at chess."

"I see..." She had her hand on her chin as if she was thinking something. "So, do you consider yourself good at chess, or just average?" She asked with a smile.

I was really starting to think that it was a fatal mistake to have introduced myself on the bus as an average person. She is clearly being sarcastic, and I don't blame her. I presented myself as an "average" person, and then, the teacher releases the results of the test we all took, although they only paid attention to my results that were 50 in all school subjects

"I consider myself someone well above average when it comes to chess," I replied with a sigh. There was no point in lying, and I think all my classmates will be making fun of me because of this presentation of me as an average student. "Just like me, Lelouch, Sora and Shiro also play, so it's normal that I'm interested in what level they're at."

"I see."

After that, she was quiet for a while. We were arriving at the school when she asked me an unexpected question.

"Do you mind teaching me chess, Ayanokouji-kun?"

I stopped walking, forcing her to do the same. Looking to the side, I saw that she had a smile on her face as she had both her hands behind her back. She was also leaning forward a little. I can't help but look at a certain region of her...

"Although I don't see any problems, can you explain to me why you want me to teach you? According to what Sora and Shiro talked about, I'm inclined to think they're better than me, so I guess it would make more sense for you to ask them, right?"

"Well, although I'm not someone who's much into games, I did get a little interested in chess. It's a game that doesn't rely on luck like some others, but relies purely on skill. As for why I haven't asked Sora-kun and Shiro-san, I haven't talked to them much yet. Besides, you still don't know if they are better than you, right?"

Well, it is true. I had not yet played against them, and I was really confident of my chess abilities. However, it wouldn't take long for me to confirm this.

"You are right. However, you didn't talk to me much either, right? Only in the store and when we left, and now at this very moment."

"That's true," she said before smiling. "But I actually find you quite interesting, Ayanokouji-kun. I feel comfortable talking to you, even if you don't show any expression on this dull face."

"Well, excuse me for being born with this face."

So, she feels comfortable talking to me and finds me interesting, huh?

"Don't say that, Ayanokouji-kun, after all, you have quite a pretty face, you know~?"

"Really?"

"Yes," she shook her head several times. "If you smiled a little, I'm sure you would be extremely popular with all the girls."

"Well, I doubt that very much. Besides, I couldn't smile even if I wanted to. I have trouble expressing myself, after all."

"In that case, what if we made a trade?" She spoke up.

"Trade?" I was confused.

"You teach me chess and I'll help you express yourself, what do you think?" She proposed in a slightly high tone.

I see, a trade that would benefit both parties. However, I cannot help but notice that she really seemed to want to learn chess from me. It's as if she wants to spend more time with me, although I think I'm just overthinking it. Besides, if I can express myself more, the chance of being able to make friends while I am in this school will increase, right?

I would also reduce the chances that the average person will find me strange or creepy because I remain with the same expressionless face. Although my classmates don't mind, they are not normal.

I kept thinking about it for a while, but no matter how much I thought about it, this is a proposal that will benefit me in the long run. So I decided to accept.

"Okay, I agree."

"Okay!" She took my hand excitedly and gave a little jump. "So, when are we going to start?"

Is she really that excited to learn about chess?

"Well, I really don't know. How about we learn more about this school, and then we'll think about it? We'd better hurry up and get to the classroom, we've wasted enough time talking here."

After I said that, she made a strange face, as if she had forgotten this. After she agreed with me, she and I started walking more quickly to our classroom. I peeked a little sideways, and saw her cheerful expression.

I thought for a moment about her proposal. Would this be just a win-win relationship or...

...Could she consider me a friend?

Our second day of class, well, technically our 'first day of class', was spent mostly on class objectives. Most of the people in my class were listening to Ayame-sensei's explanations with blank expressions, with a few exceptions. I was expecting our classes to be more intense, since we were a class of geniuses, but the classes were pretty relaxed.

Well, we still didn't have science class, which was Ayame-sensei's specific school subject. And according to her, she was quite strict when it came to her specific subject. I was quite curious about the science classes. She dressed like a scientist, and I got the impression that she is not a normal teacher, since she was assigned to this class. She also explained the subjects in a way that even a donkey could easily understand.

Well, seeing the expressions of most of my classmates, I could easily tell that they already knew about those subjects the teacher was explaining, and I was the same, which resulted in the blank expressions. Victorique looked as if he would pass out at any moment from such boredom.

Miyuki was listening to Ayame-sensei's explanations carefully.

"Well, that's all for now." Ayame-sensei said goodbye and left the classroom.

Before I knew it the class was over. After Ayame-sensei left, I could hear several students from the other classes disappearing from the school building. Even though we were on a different floor, the noise was a lot. Class E, however, didn't make any movement after our instructor left. I suppose that, due to the nature of our class, no one had a chance to make new acquaintances, although some had already talked to other people who came up to us because of our different uniform.

Miyuki seemed to be the only person who really had anyone known in this school, that was her brother who was part of the student council.

After a while, I saw Light discussing something with Jabami, and then he stood up and went forward.

"Can I share some information while everyone is here?"

His voice came out as gentle and calm as ever. In an instant, the attention of the entire class was on him.

"Of course. Knowledge is the most powerful weapon of all for those who know how to use it, after all." Sora was the first to speak with a smile.

Light smiled back and nodded his head before turning to everyone.

"Well, Jabami and I were visiting the convenience store to buy our necessities, when we ended up seeing a rather interesting scene," he began. "Apparently, some students were mocking a new student who was eating in peace on the sidewalk."

I couldn't help but feel that this was familiar somehow.

"Wait, you said it was at the convenience store, right? That student was a redheaded looking delinquent?" Kaguya asked.

"Yes, indeed. Do you know him?" Light asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, but I had the misfortune of seeing him causing a ruckus because I forgot his student card. It turns out that Hayasaka and I ended up running into Ayanokouji, Sora, and Shiro-san at the convenience store. However, we left quickly, which means that you and Jabami-san must have arrived a few moments after we left."

"Well, after his classmate helped out by paying for the noodles for him, things had been settled. But to think that he would end up in a mess soon after..." Hayasaka commented with her hand on her chin as she looked up.

"Yes, and I doubt he was just unlucky. Sudo, his name if I'm not mistaken, and he was class D. And you said they're veterans, right? Continue the explanation," Sora asked Light to continue. He seemed to be thinking a lot about this.

Watching my classmates' reactions, I noticed that most of them were listening with interest. Even Victorique wasn't showing a bored expression like she was when Ayame-sensei was explaining about the issues. Ryuzaki also seemed to be paying more attention than the rest, next to Victorique.

"Very good. The veterans were doing their best to annoy the red-headed student, and there came a moment when they guessed about his class, which was class D. When the other one angrily confirmed it, they started laughing and kept calling him a 'defective student. Frankly, if it weren't for his classmate, I really think he would run to beat them up."

After that, Light continued his explanation. Apparently, they were going to leave after Katagiri managed to calm Sudou down. Only it was at that moment that Jabami came into action. She managed to fool the students by posing as a "Special" class A student, due to her uniform.

Apparently, Class D was known to be a class of only "defective" and that they would go through hell next month. As he explained, I began to think about several things.

First about Class D. Horikita and Katagiri didn't look like "defective" students in my view. They actually seemed to be quite capable students. But that is only in appearance, which is not saying much, after all appearances can be very deceiving. However, compared to Sudou who was quite explosive, Katagiri seemed to be quite calm and polite, while Horikita was more like Kaguya.

Based on Sudou's behavior and Light's explanation, I can say that the veterans wanted to trap Sudou by having him beat them up with the cameras recording everything, and soon after they would demand his points. If Katagiri was not there with Sudou, this would probably happen.

If the veterans wanted to trick a 1st year student, that meant they possessed information that the first years did not.

Based on appearances, Sudou did not appear to be a line academic student, but rather an athletic student. Also, Ayame-sensei said that there are other elite students in the other classes, which is normal if you think about the fact that the school wants to pit us against the other classes.

If there really are only "defective" students in class D, as those veterans said, then it would be completely unbalanced in the fight for the highest class in the hierarchy. Seeing it this way, I began to wonder if that exam we took as a test to assess whether we are suitable to enter this school really served the purpose of fitting the students into their particular classes.

If I use myself as an example, with my average grades, I really expected to get into a more common class like class C or class D itself. However, I ended up in this class of "genius" students in the eyes of the school. Thinking about it, I feel safe in saying that the entrance test was totally useless. The school probably decides which class you go to no matter what the test result is, regardless of whether the result is good or bad.

So how do they evaluate which class they are going to put the students in?

I quickly came to a conclusion.

Continuing with Light's explanation, according to him, Jabami recorded a part of the conversation in which the veterans declared that the D-class would go through hell next month, and when she showed the recording to them, they quickly became desperate. She made a bet with them that if they could beat her in a game, she would erase the conversation and still give up all their points, and if she won, she would still erase the conversation, however, the veterans would have to give up all their points to her.

This confused me greatly, and I can see that all my classmates were also confused by this. However, if she really was confident of betting all her points, then she surely should have a guarantee that she wouldn't lose. Although no one had asked how the game worked, Light explained it anyway. He probably thought it would be important for us to know for some reason.

The game was played with a deck of cards that Jabami apparently had with her. There were three veterans who were class C, and each of them took three cards while Jabami took only five cards. The game was pretty simple, basically whoever had the highest number with the cards added together was the winner, jokers were out of the game.

At this point, I saw my classmates also getting confused about this. The veterans would have nine cards while Jabami would only have five. It was completely clear that she gave them a huge advantage, which basically confirmed my thought that she had a guarantee that she would win. The one who shuffled and dealt the cards was Katagiri in front of the veterans to avoid any kind of "cheating".

I am really curious in the trick she did to ensure her victory. Maybe the cards were marked and Katagiri realized it? If that was the case, he really was someone interesting. Adding up the cards of the three veterans, they had a total number of 48 "points" which was quite a lot. None of them had a "K".

Jabami ended up winning with 49, one point more than the veterans. She ended up taking two of the "K" which equals 13 points, a "Q" which equals 12 points, and a "J" which equals 11. She won by hitting the crossbar by only one point more than the veterans. Although the game was fairly simple, I was really interested and curious in the tactics she used to win. There is no way this could have been just luck. At first the veterans complained that Jabami cheated somehow, but they had no choice but to hand over the points, after all Jabami still had the audio recording. She only deleted the recording when they handed over all their points to her.

My colleagues had surprised expressions on their faces after hearing Light's explanation. Speaking about Light, since he started to explain about the game Jabami had with the veterans, he had a somewhat nervous expression, although it was not that obvious.

Why do I get the impression that he is hiding more things than he said?

Besides, since his explanation started, Jabami always kept the smile on her face.

"Although it was only a few veterans who were mocking one of the new students, Jabami's tactics proved otherwise." Light finished his explanation.

My classmates stood around for about 1 minute thinking about everything that Light explained. Before long, Sora asked a question in a rather animated tone.

"Wait a minute. Jabami took all their points through the game, right? How many points do you have now, Jabami?"

I was curious about that too, and seeing that Light didn't comment on her points, he must have left it to her to talk on her own, or maybe he doesn't know about it himself, although it was unlikely.

"Hmm," Jabami hummed with his finger on her chin. "About 423.565 points."

As soon as she said that, several eyes went wide. Even Kaguya was dumbfounded by that. Who would have thought that cold girl would express such a face so soon. Seriously, I'm really surprised by the face she's making. Well, she comes from one of the richest families in Japan, and now she has to make do with a limited amount of money, so it must be hard for her to control herself and not spend it all so quickly.

I had no doubt that she would start planning "plans" from now on to get more points after that.

"What the hell!?" Sora exclaimed as she looked at Jabami with wide eyes. Shiro also seemed to be quite surprised by this. "Can you get all those points with just one bet!?" He struck a thoughtful pose, probably wondering how many points he would get after a few bets.

Well, his surprise is completely normal. She basically got the total money from three people on the second day of class. I can't think of anyone else being capable of this so soon.

After Sora had calmed down, he asked Jabami another question

"But why risk all your points, Jabami? I mean, you already had the audio recording, so you could just say that if they won, you would delete the video, but they still needed to give you their points. You had some kind of guarantee that you were going to win from the beginning, the playing cards were marked, maybe?"

So he thought about that too. Well, if the cards were marked, Katagiri would have to realize that, after all he was the one who handed out the cards, according to Light's explanation. I could see Victorique listening carefully. Apparently, information about the school made her interested.

However, I didn't miss the strange look that Light sent Sora after he asked that. It was a look that seemed to speak "it's not like you think". This made me curious, and soon Jabami began to answer Sora's question.

"Oh, no, there was no cheating or trickery on my part. I just got lucky to win. And the reason I bet all my points even with the clear disadvantage? That is very simple, it is because it is more fun that way. The thrill of losing all my points in a single game... It's extremely exciting for me~"

What? 

"Huh?"

"Nani?"

There were several different reactions after she said that.

Miyuki opened her mouth only to close it again, saying nothing. Hayasaka and Kaguya just stared in Jabami's direction with wide eyes and blank faces. Victorique just looked at Jabami with a face as if she couldn't believe what she just said. Shiro just looked at Jabami with a glint in her eyes.

I can't tell what face I'm making right now, but my face must be quite surprised. I mean, she didn't use any tricks and wasn't even guaranteed to win? I can't believe it. My mind thought of all the possible variables she could have taken.

But no matter how much I thought about it, I always came to the same conclusion...

...I should avoid entering into any bet against her as much as possible.

"You... are you serious?" Lelouch spoke slowly while looking at Jabami as if she were a crazy person.

Jabami shook her head enthusiastically.

"That's... intriguing," Ryuzaki said.

"Hahaha," Sora laughed a little before casting a smile in Jabami's direction. "You're completely crazy, Jabami. I think we're going to get along just fine, you manic player."

"I'll be looking forward to it, Sora-san," Jabami replied with a bright smile.

"Crazy players..." Kaguya muttered in a low voice.

"Well, how about we get back to the main subject?" Lelouch said causing everyone's attention to turn to him. "As per what Light explained, it only confirms our theory of class hierarchy. And it seems that Class D was a laughingstock to the other classes, so what's going to happen to us who are technically 'below' Class D?"

The students did not seem to be aware of our Class E, which means that the school probably did not reveal us to the other classes. They must wait for the other classes to find out about us on their own. We introduced ourselves to a few people and it was only a matter of time before other more intelligent students would look us up.

There was no point in hiding because of our different uniform that drew attention, so it was just a waste of time. If only our uniforms were the same as the other students in the other classes, I could try to hide a little more...

"Well, if we were bothered by our stupid class letter, then I'm going to be seriously annoyed!" Sora complained.

"I can agree with that," Kaguya backed up.

"Well, I don't think it's worth getting frustrated over. If our class points theory is right, I'm sure we'll move up a few ranks by May 1. That's if we consider that all classes receive the same class points," Lelouch said.

"I don't think the rank will affect class points," Ryuzaki said.

"Could you explain your opinion on that?" Sora asked.

"Well, apparently all people received the same private points which is 100,000 points, since I saw several rather excited students exclaiming this everywhere I went. Let's assume that all classes started with a possible 100 'class points,' and each class point equals 1,000 points. The way we behave in class will directly affect the points we receive in the coming months by subtracting them. Also, if there is a way for us to lose points, there must be a way to gain them as well..."

"The 'class wars', right?" Hayasaka commented.

"Yes. These class points should dictate which classes will be in each ranking position. For example, this first month there should be no way to earn them, just keep what we earned at the beginning, depending on our class behavior. On the day of May 1 things should be revealed to all 1st year students."

Ryuzaki really evaluated the system solidly. With the foundation he pointed out, we can be confident that there are indeed class points.

Also, this class was quite interesting. Whenever a person spoke, nobody interrupted the person who was speaking or explaining something, they waited for the person to finish speaking to ask questions or express their opinions on the subject. We were very organized because of this, and I doubted that other classes were like this. Well, I think it's because we are an excessively small class compared to the other classes.

"Ayame-sensei said he would have other strong students scattered around the classes. I'm guessing that the criteria for choosing which class we'll be placed in isn't in that written test we take," I said.

"You're right, Ayanokouji."

Victorique's voice said in a strong tone. When I looked over, she was standing with that blue ceramic pipe in her mouth as she started pacing back and forth. Several of my colleagues just raised their eyebrows at her. She seemed to use this pipe to concentrate, and I don't know how on earth the school board allowed this. However, there is something more important now...

Where the hell did she get this pipe from?

I didn't notice her taking it out of her uniform pocket, which was strange in every way.

She just kept going when she noticed our silence waiting for her to continue.

"Earlier I had said that I found it strange that the employment rate is 100% for all students who graduate from this school, but I also kept thinking about this entrance test, and just like Ayanokouji said, it's basically useless."

"What do you mean, Victorique-san?" Miyuki asked.

She was probably curious about the fact that the test was useless.

"You see, Ayanokouji got 50 points in all school subjects. Even if he manipulated his grade to that, he should probably go to class C or D, if our class didn't exist. The fact that he restricted his abilities could be considered a 'defect'. And, as Ayanokouji said, Ayame-sensei has told us that there will be other intelligent students scattered in the other classes. This is an important factor, can you tell me why?"

"The future class wars would be completely unbalanced for the lower classes like C and D, right?" Light said.

"Exactly. I'll put an example, although I'm still not 100% sure, since I haven't interacted with someone from the lower classes. But suppose there is someone quite intelligent who scored high on the test, but still that person was placed in the D class. According to what Light and Shinomiya said about that redheaded student, he seemed to be quite explosive, a person who would fight with anyone who provoked him. Do you think someone like that would normally be placed in an 'elite school' like this?"

I can understand what she is trying to say.

"You mean that a 'normal' prestigious school that is focused only on academic studies would want to avoid having that kind of person as a student, right?" Lelouch deduced.

"Exactly," Victorique confirmed. "That school offers 100% on the college entrance fee or some job to students who graduate in the highest class. So, if I ask you, how can a school offer 100% on the entrance fee to any job or college?"

"Normally... it would be impossible, right?" Jabami commented.

Indeed, this would be impossible. However, this school exists and offers exactly that. I was absolutely certain that the 100% employment rate would only be given if you graduated with a class A student. That would be quite problematic and interesting at the same time.

Let's say we are in the first year class A, they would still have another 2 years to protect our classification. We don't know how frequent the "tests" will be that will be essential to increase our classification. . But the safest way is to get to Class A and increase the difference in "class points" as much as possible. It would be really inconvenient if a class could overtake us in the last exam that would be held in the last year.

Victorique nodded before continuing.

"Tell me, how do you think the school will prepare the students so that they can choose any job they want? Even if the 100% rate is for any job you want, you will still have the experience in that field to do a decent job, right?"

Ah, I understood where she was going with that.

"Ah, I see. I see where you're going, Victorique," Sora nodded to himself, receiving a look from Shiro.

"Nii, what do you mean?" She asked.

"Look well, Shiro. We will have to stay in this school for the next three years - if we don't get expelled, of course - so what do you think the school will do during those three years?"

"They will prepare us in various areas during that time," was Kaguya's reply.

"Exactly. Not just academics, but also in professions that will require some physical prowess. The tests that will increase our class points, should be done on the basis of preparing us for the future, depending on our choices." Victorique explained.

I couldn't help but notice how she didn't seem to like it when she said 'professions that will require some physical prowess'. She really doesn't seem to like anything that requires physical prowess.

Victorique stopped pacing back and forth and looked at all of us, and then, she asked a question.

"Besides the written test to see if we are 'qualified' to enter this school, what else do we have to do?"

"The interview?" Hayasaka quickly replied. However, I didn't fail to notice the strange looks she and Kaguya had on their faces at the mention of this.

"Yes. Ayanokouji was right in saying that the entrance test was useless. The entrance test does not define which class you will be placed for. For example, surely there must be some intelligent students in class D, with an academic comparable to A or B. And besides those smart students, there must be people who are good in physical matters, like, for example, that red-headed student."

She calls Sudou a redhead all the time, even though we mentioned his name. Could she have already forgotten? Or maybe his existence was completely useless to her and she didn't even bother to call him by name.

Victorique apparently finished her explanation, as she took the pipe from her mouth. She should probably know that we would be able to understand the rest on our own.

"Hmm, I see. This must be to balance the Classes, even if Class A technically has the best students, the other lower classes like C and D will still have a chance to move up if they do things right." Jabami commented casually.

They are right. There is also the fact that there are those geniusstudents scattered by the other classrooms that Ayame-sensei commented on. If they decide to act, the lower classes should have a much better chance of moving up the rankings this year than in previous years.

After the entrance exam, all the students that took it, had to attend an interview. This interview is the reason why students are placed in their classes. As I thought about this, something came to my mind.

Could they know everyone's past...?

No, that shouldn't be possible. And even if they know the students' pasts, mine is totally different. I have complete confidence that no one knows anything about my past.

"Well, that's a lot to process at once. Let's take a break on this topic and focus on something different," Sora commented, drawing the class's attention to him. "On the topic of knowledge, we need information about the other classes. It's only a matter of time before they start investigating about us, since we draw a lot of attention because of our uniform."

"If we try to investigate the classes personally, it might speed up the process of the intelligent students in the other classes finding out more about this school. The most ideal thing would be to try to stay quiet until May 1, to try to make the other classes take as much damage as possible."

Lelouch was right about that. We already drew too much attention because of our uniform, and I don't doubt that the other students must have already spread various rumors about students with different uniforms throughout the school. If we make them more curious than they already are, they will want to know more about us, which will lead them to investigate us sooner.

The longer the other classes take to unveil the S-System, the better for us.

At least during the first few days, we should stay as hidden as possible, to make the other classes lose more points, thus facilitating our climb up the class rankings.

All my classmates eventually agreed with Lelouch, even Sora, although he gave a sigh.

"Well, we can still try to find out about the other classes in a hidden way," Kaguya spoke up.

"Let me guess, approach those who look dumb and make them tell you about their class?"

Kaguya just shrugged. She seemed to be starting to get more comfortable with the class, although she still kept the cold expression on her face, she was starting to talk more than she did the first day. I guess that counts as an evolution, right?

Besides, it was a tactic that could work. Approaching the other students who don't suspect anything, making friends with them, and then they would casually start telling about their classes.

And looking at Kaguya's side, I could imagine that Hayasaka is the one who would be responsible for approaching the students. She noticed my gaze on her and then smiled waving her hand at me. I just moved my head a little, not knowing what to do. She sighed in a way that I was able to hear.

Had I gotten something wrong?

Well, I dismissed some looks being sent our way and started to think a little more about what Kaguya had mentioned.

There was a flaw in Kaguya's tactics, although she was more like a jinx. If by some chance, the person we approached was someone pretending to be dumb, that would be bad.

"Well, before anything else," Sora began to speak. "Can you guys give me your contact information? I will set up a group chat for us."

A group chat would be very efficient. This way, we could communicate at any time without having to meet in person.

No one disagreed with him, and so everyone started talking about their contact information. I couldn't help but notice that Sora was extremely fast at typing on his cell phone. I guess this is due to the fact that he must play a lot of games on his cell phone, which led him to get quite used to using it.

"Give me your contact information as well, Ayanokouji."

"Okay."

I was the last person to hand over my contact information.

"Nii, I'm hungry." Shiro tugged at the sleeve of Sora's school uniform in a cute way.

"I'm a little hungry too. Let's eat some as soon as we're done," Sora replied patting Shiro on the head.

"[Today at five in the afternoon, Japan standard time, we will be holding a student club fair in gymnasium No. 1. Students interested in joining a club, please meet in gymnasium No. 1. Repeat-]"

A girl with a sweet voice announced.

Club activities, huh. Come to think of it, I've never been to a club before, I might go check it out.

"A club fair, huh? I think we'd better not go," Lelouch commented.

Well, if we go, we'll get a lot more attention, but I'm still curious.

"I'm curious about this fair, so I guess I'll go," I said.

Lelouch looked at me. "Are you sure? That could be pretty risky."

"I know. However, I think that as long as I avoid getting into conversation with the other students, it shouldn't be too much trouble. I'm just curious, I won't be joining any clubs."

"I see. Well, just don't try to draw too much attention to yourself, we should enjoy what we find out faster than the other classes," he warned with a sigh.

I just nodded positively, I didn't intend to attract any attention anyway.

"Anyone else want to go with me?" I offered.

"Hmm, I'm really not in the mood, I suppose. I'll wander around, and see if I can get some information from the other classes, even if it's not ideal right now." Light replied.

"Can I come with you? I'm not interested in that fair either." Ryuzaki asked.

Light just raised an eyebrow, but shrugged.

"I don't mind," and with that, the two of them left.

I couldn't help but notice that Ryuzaki was rather strange. I could feel him watching all my classmates, as if he was looking for something. Well, I'm probably thinking too much and it's probably nothing major, just something else strange about him, besides that weird way he sits.

"I don't care about this fair, and I'm not interested in joining any clubs either, so I'm out. I'll stop by the convenience store to buy some necessities, since I didn't buy anything yesterday," Lelouch informed.

"In that case can I come with you? I didn't buy anything yesterday either."

"Could I, too?"

Lelouch raised his eyebrows.

"Well, Victorique I understand since she didn't buy anything, but didn't you go to the convenience store yesterday, Jabami?"

"I didn't buy many things. Besides, I can buy something for you guys, what do you think? I have plenty of points, after all."

Lelouch looked at her suspiciously. "What's the trick?"

"There is no trick, Lelouch-san. You really make me feel bad, you know?"

"Excuse me for being cautious with a woman who bankrupted three students on the first day of class," he replied sarcastically.

"They were enemies, right? We're classmates, you don't have to worry about that," she replied with a smile.

Lelouch stared at her for some time as she returned his gaze with a smile. Victorique was watching without patience, as if she wanted to leave soon. After a while, Lelouch finally agreed.

"All right, I will accept that."

Lelouch, Victorique, and Jabami left the classroom.

I turned to my other classmates. Of those who left there were only me, Shiro, Sora, Miyuki, Kaguya, and Hayasaka left. I confess that I was a little afraid that they would all refuse and I would end up going there alone, but unexpectedly they all agreed.

"Sure. There's some time until the fair starts, until then, how about we eat?" Sora was the first to agree, and I didn't have to wait for Shiro's response, since it was obvious that she would go wherever Sora went.

"I'm in!" Hayasaka was the most cheerful in agreeing with me.

"Well, why not? I'm also curious if there's an archery club at this school," Kaguya commented, her tone coming off as cool as ever.

"I'm also interested in this fair," Miyuki who was a bit quiet, spoke up.

With that, the six of us left the classroom. I was glad that I wouldn't be going there alone, which would definitely make me stand out more than usual, after all I would be the only one in a different uniform there. With them with me, there will be six people in different uniforms. Although this doesn't change much, it is a good thing.

We just have to avoid drawing more attention than usual.

At five o'clock in the afternoon, Sora, Shiro, Miyuki, Kaguya, Hayasaka and I were walking towards the Club Fair. During the time we were free, we talked about various things, such as the possibility of having some benefit if you belong to a club. It was very likely that there were some benefits, but apart from Kaguya and Miyuki, I can't think of anyone else from our class who wants to join a club.

Sora and Shiro were out of the question for obvious reasons.

I had also arranged with Sora to go to their room today, so that they could teach me how to play that strange game. Although I was really curious about the game, my real goal was to get closer to the two of them. They seem to be the most similar people to me in this class.

When we entered the gymnasium, flyers with details about the club activities were handed out to all of us.

There were more than 100 people in that place. Most of them seemed to be first-year students.

As expected, there were a few people looking at us while whispering, but we just ignored them.

"I wonder if this school has any particularly famous clubs. For example... something like a karate club," I mumbled.

Before I entered this school, I researched basic things. Apparently karate clubs were pretty famous at most schools, which led me to wonder if this school had one.

"Many clubs here seem to be of a high level. There are many members in several clubs that are nationally known." Kaguya spoke as she observed the place.

Even if this school is not particularly known for its sports like baseball or volleyball, it's not like the club's activities are at the "amateur" level.

"Ayanokouji-kun, do you have an interest in karate? Could you be good at fighting?" Miyuki asked me casually.

If I'm any good, huh. I gave some thought to how to answer that. There was no particular reason for me to lie, since they were going to know my skills sooner or later, so I spoke almost the whole truth for the first time.

"It's not that I have an interest, I'm just curious since I've practiced martial arts before. As for whether I'm good at fighting, well, let's just say I'm confident enough to be able to handle anyone in this place without too much trouble."

As soon as I said that, there were different reactions. Sora and Shiro just raised their eyebrows. Sora seemed to be more surprised by this. He probably thought I was going to say something like, "I'm average at martial arts," he clearly didn't expect me to admit that I'm good at it. Now whether they believed me was another story.

Hayasaka seemed quite surprised by my answer. Kaguya, on the other hand.

"You must really be very good to talk like that. I can't tell if you're serious or being ironic, due to the fact that your face and tone of voice don't change even a little after you say that."

Although her tone sounded cold, she seemed genuinely curious.

"You can believe whatever you want, it won't change my statement. If there is any martial arts examination, then you will be able to determine for yourself if I am just words."

After I said that, no one commented on this matter. But I could tell that Kaguya and Hayasaka were curious about the fact that I claim to be good at martial arts. I don't get the reason, is being good at it really something to be interested in?

"The facilities are of high quality. See, they even have oxygen capsules. The equipment here is so luxurious that it would probably put professionals to shame," Sora commented.

After a while of looking at the clubs, Kaguya seemed a little upset, although she didn't show it. She probably didn't find the archery club, or maybe she didn't have one.

On a small stage, a girl of medium height with purple hair tied up in two curls with bangs hanging over her eyebrows and peachy brown eyes began to speak.

"Thank you all for waiting, first-year students. A representative from each club will explain their activities and how to participate. I am Tachibana, the student council secretary and the president in charge of the club fair. Nice to meet you all."

After Tachibana's greeting, the club representatives lined up on the gymnasium stage. There were several representatives, ranging from judo uniforms to beautiful kimonos.

"Hey, how do you feel about joining a sports club, Sora? Doesn't this judo club look nice? That senpai seems kind and encouraging," I said.

I said this to try to encourage Sora to try something different besides games. Although he and Shiro couldn't be separated, I don't think it would be a problem if she went to the club with him just to observe.

"What part of him seems kind and encouraging, Ayanokouji? That gorilla looks like he's ready to kill someone at any moment," he replied while looking at the 'gorilla'.

Well, I at least tried. I heard the sound of laughter, and when I turned around, I noticed Miyuki laughing a little. I didn't understand that, did I say something funny?

"My name is Hashigaki, and I am captain of the archery club. I think there are many students who find it old-fashioned and simple, but it is a very fun and satisfying sport. We give all new students a warm welcome, so if you are interested, please come in."

A girl wearing archery clothing began her introduction on stage.

At that moment, I noticed Kaguya's expression change quite a bit for the first time. Her eyes were shining, and they didn't look as cold as they had been. However, she quickly faked a cough, and her face returned to its usual cold expression.

Interesting.

Did she really like archery? Well, during her presentation on the bus, she mentioned that she had practiced several things, I guess that was one of them.

"Are you going in, Kaguya?" I asked her.

As soon as I asked her that question all my classmates turned to me. The way they looked at me was strange, but the strangest of all was Kaguya. Her cold eyes looked at me as if she wanted to kill me cruelly, and something told me that she wouldn't hesitate to do that.

What had I done wrong?

"Are you calling me by my first name?"

"Yes, is there something wrong with that? It's just a name, right?" I didn't understand why they were looking at me that way.

"Well, you usually only call someone by their first name if you are intimate with that person, Ayanokouji-san," Miyuki warned me.

"But don't we call you by your first name?" I asked confused.

"Eh, yes, but that's only because I asked you to call me by my first name. It will be weird if you guys meet with my oniisama and you refer to both of us as Shiba..."

"Besides, you don't call Hayasaka by her first name," Kaguya commented.

"That is true, Ayanokouji-kun. Perhaps you are interested in Kaguya?" Hayasaka asked with a mischievous smile.

Sora was looking at me with frightening eyes when she mentioned it. Why does he look like he wants to kill me? Shiro noticed his gaze and she pinched his hands, causing him to look at her, wondering why she had done that. She just pouted and looked away.

I turned to answer Hayasaka's question.

"It's not that. I really don't know why I do this, but if you want, I can call you Ai from now on...?"

"Huh?"

Unexpectedly, her face turned completely red as she looked at me with wide eyes.

"W-what? W-why do you want to call me by m-my first name?" She asked, stammering heavily.

What's with this radical change of attitude? I can see Kaguya looking at her with surprise on her face.

Sora, Shiro and Miyuki were just watching without saying anything. Come on, say something, help me out here! I waited for a while but they didn't say anything, seeing that I was alone, I turned to answer Hayasaka.

"Well, since I'm already calling Kaguya by her first name, I guess it's okay to do the same to you, right? Unless you don't want to and Kaguya minds me calling her by her first name, in which case I'll call her Shinomiya."

"...I don't mind you calling me Kaguya," she said with a sigh. However, I did notice a bit of red on her cheeks.

I turned my gaze to Hayasaka who still had her face red. There's no way she could have gotten a fever out of nowhere, so what is it? It's probably something I'll have to look up on the internet. Well, internet-sensei has never failed me anyway.

"...I-I don't mind you calling me Ai."

Finally we're done with this damn conversation. Are first names really that important? It's just a name to refer to a person, I see no reason to use it only with close people, normal people are too weird.

We started paying attention to the presentation of the presidents of each club.

The baseball club didn't seem particularly more interesting than the others.

No matter how well they greet newcomers, or how attractive the meeting places and times are, it's just another normal presentation. It wasn't just the baseball club, all the clubs seemed normal. If I learned anything interesting from these explanations, it was that smaller clubs, like tea ceremony and calligraphy clubs, existed, and that the minimum number of people needed to form a new club is 3.

Every time the representative of some club starts his explanation, the first year talks with his friends about the previous club.

As time went by, people started to pay less attention in our class. It seems that not talking to anyone and ignoring stares had a positive effect, as people whispered less and less about us, although there were still some who kept looking over.

The few students who came to try to approach us were "kicked" out by Kaguya's cold tone. No one from my class tried to interfere or stop her, since she was freeing us from answering any questions those students were going to ask us.

The academy had a lively atmosphere. The club representatives, not to mention the supervising teacher, continued their explanations without any sign of discontent. They must be desperate to get more members as soon as possible.

With each new representative from some club came and explained, the attention on my class continued to decrease until there was hardly anyone paying attention to us.

When the veterans finished their explanations, they left the stage and went to some tables. They are probably setting up a reception area so that they can talk to people individually and accept them.

Eventually, all the people on the stage moved away until one person remained. Everyone's gaze was focused on the stage.

The person was about 170 centimeters tall, which was not that tall.

A slender body, black, straight hair.

He wore glasses and had a calculating look.

"Oh?" I heard Sora mutter.

What club is he from, and what explanation will he give? My interest was piqued, and I was not the only one. From the murmur that Sora made, he also seemed to be interested in this student.

However, my interest disappeared in the next second. He was completely silent.

Maybe his mind went blank. Maybe he was feeling nervous and his voice didn't come out.

"Do your best~"

"Did you forget to bring your note card?"

"Ahahaha!"

The first years threw those words at the person. However, the student on stage did not flinch. Neither the laughter nor the encouragement seemed to catch up with him.

Even as the laughter began to subside, his apathetic face did not change.

The began to wonder "What is this senior doing?" and the gymnasium became noisy.

Still, the boy didn't move. He just stood there in silence, looking at the first years.

Watching my classmates, I saw that Sora and Kaguya seemed somewhat interested in this student. Miyuki didn't seem interested, in fact, she seemed to be looking in a few different places from time to time. She was probably looking for her brother? Shiro just had a face that didn't seem the least bit interested.

My interest in him rose again.

The relaxed atmosphere gradually changed in an unexpected direction. It was an electrifying change in mood.

Eventually, the whole gymnasium was enveloped in a tense and quiet atmosphere.

No instructions were given, no one dared to speak - it was a terrible silence.

Nobody could open their mouths to speak. This silence had lasted for about 30 seconds.

The student on the stage finally began to speak.

"My name is Horikita Manabu and I am the student council president."

Horikita? That name...

"The girl we met at the convenience store..." Shiro muttered as Sora nodded his head.

"The student council is also looking for first-years to replace the third-year undergraduate. There are no strict requirements to apply for the position, but those who are interested should not be affiliated with any other club. Generally, we do not accept any candidates involved in other clubs."

His tone was soft, but the atmosphere was still tense. He single-handedly silenced the entire gymnasium.

Of course, it wasn't his position as student council president that gave him that power. Hokita Manabu also carried a powerful aura. His presence dominated the entire gymnasium.

Moreover, he spoke "generally," which means that there must be exceptions for some candidates who are in some club...

"Also, we, the student council, are not looking for someone who has a naive way of thinking. Not only will that kind of person not get elected, but they will inevitably become a stain on this school. The student council is only responsible for regulating the students, but the school expects much more. Those who understand that they can become potential candidates, come talk to me."

Since no one dared to speak, none of the students spoke when he left the academy. The students did not know what would happen if they tried to talk.

"Everyone, thank you for coming. With that, the club fair is over. We will now open the reception area for anyone interested in joining. The reception area will be open until the end of April, so anyone who is interested can make applications directly to the club."

With the help of a club president, the tense atmosphere slowly disappeared.

Then the club representatives opened the reception area.

"That was interesting," Sora was the first of us to speak.

I agreed with him.

I started looking at the reception area for each club, and it was at that moment that my eyes were on the music club reception area. Or rather, my attention was all on an instrument that I haven't played in three years, a lone piano.

The piano was located in a slightly open space. And right above the piano was a violin.

It was at this moment that an idea popped into my mind.

"Kaguya."

"Is there a problem, Ayanokouji?"

"You said before that you have practiced songs, which means you have learned various instruments, right?" Although she was a little confused by my question, she nodded in agreement.

I could see Sora, Shiro, Miyuki and Ai looking at us with a certain interest.

And then I made my move.

"Do you know how to play the violin?"

"I'm not one to brag, but I'm pretty good," she confirmed.

"In that case ... what do you think about playing a song together with me?"I proposed while pointing at the piano

...

Kaguya's Pov:

"What?"

I certainly wasn't expecting such a proposal. Not only me, but I also heard Hayasaka making a noise of surprise. Miyuki-san also seemed surprised, while Sora and Shiro-san seemed quite interested in the proposal he made me. I was unconsciously nervous.

When I looked where he was pointing, I saw a piano, and on top of the piano was a violin.

However, I couldn't help but be suspicious of his proposal.

"Why do you want to play a song with me?"

"No big reason, really. It's been a few years since I've played piano, so I thought it would be nice to take this chance, and since I've never played in a duo with anyone, so I thought this would be a perfect opportunity."

His voice came out as monotone as ever.

"I don't know-" Just as I was about to say no, I feel the sleeve of my uniform being pulled.

Looking to the side, I see Shiro-san staring at me.

"I want to hear you play..." Shiro-san said this in a rather low, it was almost like a whisper.

"Look, Shinomiya. My beautiful little sister wants to hear you play the piano and violin. You wouldn't refuse such a kindness, right?"

Sora said this with a mischievous smile. Every time I built up the courage to refuse the offer, my eyes met with her cute eyes looking at me with great intensity...

Damn that cute girl!

"...All right, I accept."

"In that case, let's go," Ayanokouji started walking and I followed him as my classmates wished us luck. Hayasaka was the most excited about the whole thing, she is probably happy to be able to hear me play the violin again.

When we both approached the instruments, I said.

"Are you sure they will let us play? Besides, do you think you can accompany me?"

"They don't have to let us play," he commented casually. "Right now the music club representative is talking to those girls, and once we start playing, she won't kick us out. As for your question, you'll be surprised how good I am at piano.

"No saying you're average?" I asked sarcastically.

"It's useless to say that to you. Initially I wished to live like an ordinary student, but that is impossible in this class. It's only a matter of time before my abilities come out to the rest of the class, so I won't try to waste time restricting my abilities or anything like that, at least not to the people in our class."

I was really surprised at him admitting this so casually. As we were walking along, I noticed that we were forgetting something important, so I decided to ask about it.

"Well, what music are we going to play? I know most of the famous songs, so I'm confident I can play something with the violin that matches the piano sound."

A song that uses both instruments to play.

He seemed to think for a moment before making up his mind.

"In that case..."

"Hmm," Miyuki hummed as she watched Ayanokouji and Kaguya walk to the piano.

"Is there a problem, Miyuki-san?" Hayasaka asked.

"Ah, I don't know exactly..." She answered in doubt before speaking again. "Didn't Lelouch-san tell us not to draw too much attention?"

The moment she said that Hayasaka's expression brightened like a light bulb before she spoke.

"Well, that's bad."

"There's nothing we can do. We'll just get Ayanokouji and Shinomiya when this is over and try to leave as quickly as possible," Sora commented with a hand on his head, looking a little frustrated that he had forgotten about it.

He just hoped they wouldn't draw so much attention...

Well, that was an illusion. As soon as Ayanokouji and Kaguya approached both instruments, some people started whispering as they looked at them. The music club representative didn't notice yet, she was quite busy talking to the people who intended to join the music club.

Ayanokouji sat at the piano while Kaguya picked up the violin and stood, facing the same direction that Ayanokouji was sitting at the piano. After they spoke something that could not be heard, Kaguya started playing the violin, followed by Ayanokouji playing the piano.

A sound echoed throughout the gymnasium, causing the nearest people to look to the source of the sound, only to find two students in black uniforms with gold detailing. A long black haired beauty standing with her back to them playing the violin and a mysterious brown haired boy quietly playing the piano.

In a few seconds the whole gymnasium was quiet watching the two of them playing their instruments. Sora cursed himself when she noticed this.

The posture of both was calm, the boy's fingers glided fluidly over the piano keys, while the girl moved her hands around the violin, and in a short time, the music that had started slowly gained momentum and speed. They both moved their hands quickly over the piano keys and over the violin, but this seemed to be easy for them.

And before people could notice, a beautiful melody filled the entire gymnasium.

Kaguya's Pov:

"Tell me, Kaguya."

As I moved my hands skillfully over the violin, Ayanokouji suddenly spoke to me.

"Yes?"

I had to admit, he was pretty good. We could probably be mistaken for two professional musicians.

"I always notice that you look at me in a strange way and with more intensity than the rest of our classmates. I have to ask, is it because I stared at you on the bus? If that is the case, I will apologize right now."

"Huh?"

I almost missed the musical notes of the violin because of what he said. We could play and talk at the same time in a quiet way, but if he says that out of the blue...

Besides, what does he mean by "I look at him more intensely than the rest of our colleagues"? I look at everyone the same way, right?

Or maybe, I unconsciously look at him more than usual because of my doubt about having met or heard about him before?

"It's not like that at all. In fact, let me ask you something, Ayanokouji. Have you and I met before?"

Although I was confident that I had never seen him, this still does not explain why I find his last name familiar. Since there is no telling when another opportunity like this might arise, I decided to take this moment and ask him about it. I just waited for his answer for a few seconds while we continued the piano and violin.

After a while, he finally answered me.

"That is unlikely. I can count on my fingers the number of times I have left home before, so I would remember in case I had run into you."

So we didn't really meet.

However, I couldn't help but notice his sentence. "Able to count on his finger the amount of times he has left home"? Were their parents that strict? I guess it explained his not knowing the price of some things at the convenience store.

If we haven't met before, then I really must have heard about him before, but no matter how hard I try, I can't remember where or when it was that I heard.

I know that I have no right to interfere in anyone's life, but...

This bad feeling whenever I think of his last name...

There is also the fact that his face never changes. Even if he says he doesn't know how to express himself, there's no way this is normal.

I had Hayasaka investigate him just in case, hoping to get the answers to my questions, and she already seemed to be getting quite close to him.

"I see..."

We continued playing our instruments in silence for a while until he asked me about something else.

"Are you planning to join the archery club?"

"Hmm, I'm still thinking about it. But I'll probably get on the student council."

"You probably will get in, huh. Isn't it 'I'll try to get in'? The way you say it is like you're sure you're going to get accepted."

"It's because that's exactly what it is. I have complete confidence that I will be accepted if I want to."

"I see."

"Are you planning to join any clubs, Ayanokouji?"

"Not really. I haven't been interested in any clubs, so I think I'll pass. If people who are in a club actually get some kind of benefit, then I guess our class will just have to deal with that disadvantage."

It's not like it's the first time we've been at a disadvantage in this school anyway.

"Really..."

We didn't talk anymore after that.

We were about to finish playing the music. We slowed down when the piano and violin music reached its peak, and then the piano and violin music we played finally came to an end.

The place was strangely silent when we played the final chord. Ayanokouji also seemed to find this strange, and so we turned around, at which point we saw several people, club representatives and students, looking at us in dead silence.

Looking over to where our classmates were standing, I could see Miyuki-san, Hayasaka, Sora, Shiro-san, and even Katagiri who we met at the convenience store was there, with a smile on his face. Besides him, there were two other students near them, a boy with dead fish eyes, very similar to Ayanokouji, and another boy who seemed to be quite normal.

Suddenly, the entire gymnasium began to applaud and congratulate our performance.

"That was impressive!"

"Are you guys professional musicians!?"

"That was amazing. Wonderful!"

"Who are those two students!? That was just amazing!"

We seemed to get a lot of attention, I couldn't help but be totally nervous about it. Lelouch told us to avoid drawing more attention than usual, but that doesn't seem to be possible anymore.

As I thought about this, I wondered if this might have been Ayanokouji's real goal, but I quickly dismissed that thought, after all, he said he wanted to live a normal life and he doesn't seem like the kind of person who wants to draw attention to himself.

...Right?

The music club representative approached both of us.

"That was amazing, you two! I'm Oumae Kumiko, president of the music club. Would you two be interested in joining?" She wasted no time in inviting us to join the music club.

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to decline your invitation. I have no interest in joining any club," Ayanokouji said.

Although she looked sad about it, she recovered and looked at me hopefully. Unfortunately I would break her hope.

"I already plan to join another club."

"Oh, right." She looked really sad that we had turned her down, but she quickly shook her head several times before speaking. "The invitation will be up until the end of April, just in case you change your mind," she said with a smile.

At that moment, Sora dragged Shiro away while Hasayaka and Miyuki followed him. They came up to us quickly and Sora told us to get out of that place as quickly as possible. I bowed slightly to the people who had heard the piano and violin music we played with a small smile and we quickly started to leave the gym after that.

As we were leaving, I heard Sora saying goodbye to Katagiri and the other two students.

"Sorry, we have some plans, see you guys another time, Katagiri, Hikigaya, Cid!"

"No problem!" Katagiri shouted back at him. The other two just waved goodbye with their hands.

We ran at a fast pace for quite a while until we came to a place that had no people, when Sora and Shiro stopped and started breathing heavily.

...

...

"Time! Shiro and I can't take it anymore!"

"We ran for about 2 minutes and 35 seconds, have you guys had enough?" Ayanokouji commented casually.

Wait, he kept counting the time while we ran?

Sora looked at him irritated.

"Well, sorry if we're not cut out for physical activity, you bastard!"

"But this is quite serious, Sora-san," Miyuki warned. "I recommend that you two get at least a little exercise during the days. It will do good for both of your health."

"N-don't worry," Sora commented as she took a heavy breath. "We'll exercise by playing games today, Ayanokouji will also join us."

"...I don't think you can use games as exercise, Sora-kun," Hayasaka spoke up and Miyuki agreed with her.

"Leaving that aside for a moment, who were those other two along with you?" I decided to ask.

Sora looked at me and caught some of his breath before answering my question.

"They are Hikigaya Hachiman and Cid Kagenou, both are C class. We ended up chatting with them a bit when they approached us next to Katagiri as we watched you and Ayanokouji play the instruments. They were quite impressed with the performance of the two of you."

So they are class C.

"Do you think they might be troublesome?" I asked.

"You're really cold, huh," Sora commented while shaking her head. "Hikigaya seemed to be a bit similar to Ayanokouji." When he mentioned this, I saw Ayanokouji starting to listen to Sora talking with a little interest. "Cid, on the other hand, he seems like a pretty ordinary student. We haven't talked much, it's impossible to take anything solid away, but as a first impression, I don't think they'll give us any trouble in the future. But you can never be too careful."

I was worried that they would gain interest in us to the point that they would start investigating us immediately, but that doesn't seem to be the case. However, they will probably comment on this with their class. Really a problem, playing the piano and violin was a fatal mistake.

Besides, can't you look a little more guilty about this, Ayanokouji? You were responsible for all this, at least show a face looking guilty or apologize!

"I think we should go. I have to do some things," Miyuki commented. "I thought Oniisama would be at the club fair, but I couldn't find him," she lamented as she said goodbye to us.

"Well, I guess she's right. So, shall we go Ayanokouji?" Sora asked as Ayanokouji agreed.

"Sure." The three of them said goodbye to us.

Apparently, Sora and Shiro's dormitory was on the floors that the male students occupied. I don't even want to think about the kind of rumors people will create when they see a girl sleeping in the same room as a boy. However, the principal himself had given permission, so I don't think they're going to be worried about some kind of trouble that would normally happen.

"Well, let's go, Hayasaka."

"I'm coming, Kaguya-sama."

With that, we both started to leave.

Sora's Pov:

Actually I was together with my beautiful sister in our dormitory.

Ayanokouji was with us. My room is 423 while Ayanokouji's room is 401. Shiro and I arranged to teach him to play the game she and I were playing on the bus. When I arrived at our dorm, I received a message from Lelouch in the group chat I created for our class.

He sent a video of Ayanokouji and Kaguya playing the piano and violin with the following message:

[6:23:17 PM] Lelouchi: [Don't you guys happen to know what "not drawing too much attention" means?!]

For him to put the exclamation point at the end of the message, he is clearly annoyed.

Someone ended up recording Ayanokouji and Kaguya playing piano and violin, which was really problematic. Unfortunately, there was nothing we could do about it, except simply accept it. The video was only 2 minutes and 17 seconds long, which means that whoever recorded it started recording right at the end.

I quickly replied to his message.

[6:23:46 PM] Sora: [We draw attention regardless of whether or not they play the piano and violin, because of our uniforms. Let's hope they don't come to investigate us too soon.].

[6:25:04 PM] Light: [I was really surprised when I saw this. Ayanokouji and Kaguya played the piano and violin very well].

Apparently Light had seen the video before.

I saw the message saying that Lelouch was typing, but after seeing Light's message, I put the phone on silent mode. I would read the messages and answer at another time. Now there was something much more important than answering messages, it was the sacred time.

The time to play!

I will make sure to show Ayanokouji the amazing world of games!

Ayanokouji put his backpack on the floor by the door, and then I saw him looking at his phone. Probably checking his messages.

"Ayanokouji, put your phone on silent mode. It can be very distracting when we are playing. Besides, you downloaded the game, right?"

Shiro was already sitting on the floor near our beds, setting up her phone and opening the game. By the way, this is the only dorm room that has two beds instead of one, and both were very close to each other. That way, Shiro and I didn't have to worry about the distance of sleeping too far away from each other.

"Yeah, I downloaded the game this morning," he replied while apparently putting his cell phone on silent mode.

After a while, we both opened our games. Shiro and I created new accounts to play together with Ayanokouji while we explained about the game.

At first we could only play against bots, but this was perfect for teaching him and preparing him to play against real players.

As we played our first match, I explained to him about the different routes. BOTLANE, TOPLANE, MIDLANE and the JUNGLE. I explained how each one worked and the different types of champions that were good on certain routes.

Shiro and I were playing BOTLANE while Ayanokouji ended up choosing MIDLANE in our second game. He was a very fast learner, and with only a few matches, I came to the conclusion that he was already better than the so-called "masters" that fell in my team in the challenger's queue...

This was a 5V5 strategy game, but one still needed to be good with a certain champion in order to play with maximum leverage over his abilities. And this would only be possible after playing a few matches with that same champion.

Ayanokouji was using Katarina, an assassin champion who is technically very difficult to play with. However, when we started playing against real players, he already knew the basics about the mechanics of the champion. If he were to play alone, he would easily reach the diamond or even the master.

Every game we played, I would give him tips on how to avoid getting ganked by the enemy jungle, since the JUNGLER was my main route and I had a lot of knowledge about this route. The JUNGLER was the most important LANE, and it was also much easier to carry the other players in the backpack if they were bad players. And since Shiro always played with me in MIDLANE, the matches were much easier.

By the way, in our original accounts Shiro and I were ranked first and second in the world in the game. However, the ranks were quite unbalanced. Even though we were both of the highest rank in the game, we still fell in with "masters" and "grandmasters" in the matches we played. Hell, there were even occasions when we fell with "diamonds". Diamonds!

Ayanokouji would occasionally ask about something he was curious about, or even about a certain character he fell against. He often asked for hints. Initially, only I was giving the hints, but with time, Shiro also felt more comfortable and started giving him hints.

Before we came to this school, both of us could only rely on ourselves.

However, once we came here, I could feel that we finally found a place for ourselves. A place with people who don't treat us like everyone else in society has treated us.

After that past war, we were abandoned.

I could also feel that Ayanokouji was quite similar to us.

"Ayanokouji, you better buy this item for this match, they have a lot of group controls, this item will help against that." Shiro said as she placed her hand on Ayanokouji's cell phone, pointing to a certain item.

"I see. Thank you for the recommendation, Shiro."

"...You're welcome."

I couldn't help but smile a little.

"Nii, the jungle will gank us. We can kill all three of them."

I quickly turned my attention back to my phone and was quite excited.

"Right! You can all come, let's finish them off!"

With that, we kept playing for some time until Ayanokouji left the game after we finished. It was probably already late.

We played a total of 15 matches, and they all ended very quickly.

We won all the matches.

Ayanokouji, still holding his cell phone in his hands, muttered.

"... It's 8:48 pm at night."

Geez, was it that late already? Normally, with all the matches we play, it should be much later, but all of them ended with a maximum of 15 minutes, with most of them ending with 10 or even 8 minutes. It is quite easy to beat people who are new to the game, but I did not like this very much.

Ayanokouji's account needs to reach level 30 to play flexible ranked play. Until then, we would have to play normal matches.

I quickly remembered something. Light also agreed to be taught how to play, right? Maybe I'll ask him in class tomorrow if he wants to join us next time we go to play together.

"Sora, Shiro, can we play one last game before we finish?"

As soon as he said that, I became interested.

Well, technically the curfew was 10 o'clock at night, if anyone goes past that it could get the person in trouble. Our dorms are not too far from each other, so technically we have about 55 minutes, which should be enough to play a game.

But what game?

"I don't mind, but what game are we going to play?"

With that, Ayanokouji walked over to his backpack that was near the door. He took the backpack and started walking towards us.

For some strange reason, his steps seemed much heavier than usual. The air seemed tense, and you could hear the pounding of his footsteps through the room. Shiro was staring at Ayanokouji with some interest, and I was also a little interested.

"According to what you said on the bus, you and Shiro are invincible when you're together, right?" As soon as he said that, Ayanokouji sat down on the floor where we were.

He started rummaging through his backpack as he spoke again.

"For me, winning is like breathing..."

He seemed to reach for what he wanted, and then took a chessboard out of his backpack. He placed the board between the three of us as he began to pick up the pieces calmly.

Shiro had a very surprised look on her face, and so did I.

He...

"Ayanokouji, that..."

I looked at him as he picked up a chess piece with his hand and raised it over our eyes.

The king of the black pieces.

With my peripheral vision I saw that Shiro was staring at the King of Black pieces in Ayanokouji's hand.

Our eyes met for a brief moment that seemed like hours.

It was at this moment that his next words completely surprised me.

"I challenge you to dethrone me."

His voice that is always monotonous and indifferent changed for the first time. Although it was small, I could notice a tone of curiosity, hope and enthusiasm.

Our eyes met again and I could feel a gleam in his eyes as he put the king of the black pieces in their proper place on the chessboard.

I began to get completely excited.

"Human beings have diverse goals, among these, the most diverse and eccentric are mixed, but the intensity of human desires is still as overwhelming as an unstoppable force of nature."

...

...

...

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