"Ah, it's finally here. The general school assembly."
"Yeah."
"What a pain..."
Isogai walked in the lead, followed by Maehara, who grumbled in agreement. Okano walked beside them, a bitter smile playing on her lips.
I followed behind, listening to Kataoka explain how to solve the difficult problems from the last pop quiz.
For the record, I completely agreed with them—the school assembly was a heavy burden. Why? Because the "trash" and the "outcasts" would surely face harassment.
"What's up, Nozaki? Are you actually studying?"
"Yeah. I regained my motivation after the last assassination attempt. You could say I want to prove myself to Koro-sensei."
As I listened to the explanation, Maehara slowed his pace. He glanced at my quiz paper, which showed a score of 50, and began to tease me. I told him my reason.
Then, Isogai said something I didn't expect.
"Oh? Are we about to witness the return of the 'Silver Prodigy' then?"
"Isogai-kun, what do you mean by 'Silver Prodigy'?"
"That was Keiichi's nickname in our first year when he was fiercely competing with Asano. But that title was only used within Class A."
"Wait a second, I've never heard of that nickname before!?"
A new title had surfaced, one I knew nothing about.
What was this? I had never heard it.
Why did everyone give me these strange nicknames? What did I even do? In my first year, I did nothing but study. From last year until now, I've done nothing but fight. How did I end up with these titles?
"Back then, it was normal for you to get perfect scores on every test, including the quizzes. Beyond that, you were eloquent and social with everyone. Because you could chat brilliantly with your friends while studying at the same time, they called you the Prodigy—the one who reached the top through polished effort."
"Exactly. And since Asano-kun didn't seem to show the strain of hard work at school, he was dubbed the Natural Genius."
"Asano, huh..."
Gakushuu Asano. He was a thorn in my side back then. Perhaps I was the only one who viewed him as a rival in a one-sided competition, but it isn't an exaggeration to say my downward spiral to Class E began with my defeat at his hands.
At that time, I was full of confidence, proud of my efforts because I had maintained the top rank since elementary school. I was certain no one could best me.
Since I had never tasted defeat, my arrogance was undeniable.
In that moment, the true genius, Gakushuu Asano, appeared before me. I made him my arch-enemy and doubled my efforts to an insane degree.
As a result of that excessive overwork, my health collapsed. I lost to him in the second-semester proficiency test by only two points. From that moment, my relationship with my father soured, and I lost every shred of motivation.
"You were on good terms with Asano back then."
"In what way?"
"Didn't you two used to tutor each other?"
"It wasn't mutual help. I used to hurl the most difficult problems I could find at his face to prove my superiority and find a weakness to exploit."
"Nozaki, you were unexpectedly childish."
Okano's muttered resentment stabbed me to the core.
Yes, I suppose I really was a child.
"Anyway, stop the chatter and pick up the pace. Otherwise, that guy Asano will subject us to harsh discrimination again."
"Ah! That's right..."
"Yeah, the last time we were late, they forced us to water the flower beds for the entire main building, didn't they?"
"Man, that day was exhausting."
"That's because you were the one who was late, Maehara."
As the handsome duo exchanged cool laughs, Okano snapped, as if she could no longer endure the situation.
"Ah, damn it! Why do we have to be the only ones suffering through all this!!?"
We, the students of Class E, face appalling discrimination from both the students and teachers of the main building alike.
Essentially, the school explained this system to us when we enrolled. They even forced us to sign a pledge promising not to object to it.
This discrimination, carried out with the parents' consent, is truly horrific.
It starts with the ban on school activities, moves to our isolation in a dilapidated building that lacks even a single fan—while the main building enjoys infrastructure and air conditioning—and extends to the ban on entering the main building without a reason. Even the trek to this assembly is part of that discrimination.
The distance from our isolated campus to the main building is about one kilometer. We must traverse this distance via a rugged mountain path during our lunch break.
Lunch break is supposed to be for eating, right? Yet they force us to use that time just for transit.
It's bearable in spring or autumn, but it turns into hell during summer and winter.
On top of that, we must line up before all the other classes and grades.
Even so, even in the spring, the journey is never without trouble.
"Hey, guys."
"Okajima, Chiba, Mimura."
"Hurry up too, okay?"
"Yeah, let's go."
A small stream flows through the mountain. As soon as Okajima set foot on the small bridge crossing it, an ominous cracking sound echoed.
"Oh."
The wooden plank snapped under Okajima's foot.
Goodbye, Okajima. I won't forget your memory.
"Save me, Nozaki!"
"Wait, you..!?"
Before the current could sweep him away, Okajima grabbed the hem of my pants. The water's force was stronger than I expected; my feet slipped toward the river, and I tumbled in with him.
"Wait, Okajima!? Keiichi!!?"
"Isogaiiiii──!"
Okajima dragged me down with him. ──
We barely managed to cling to the riverbank, struggling with all our might to stop before the current swept us away.
"A-Are you okay, Okajima?"
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. I'm sorry, Nozaki."
We climbed out of the river, completely exhausted.
"Damn it, I don't know how far the current took us!"
"We're still within the school grounds anyway, and there are no dangerous paths here. Let's run!"
I didn't want to cause trouble for my classmates just because we were late.
I started running, with Okajima beside me.
"Kyaaaa!!?"
I heard screams from Yada and her friends.
It seemed we had found the right path again. We leaped out from the bushes, but for some reason, countless snakes blocked our way.
"S-Snakes!!?"
For some reason, all those snakes were looking only at us.
The snakes raised their heads and flicked their tongues in an offensive stance. They lunged at Okajima and me all at once, so we bolted to escape them.
"Okajima-kun, Nozaki-kun!!?"
I felt trapped in a series of disasters, but I kept sprinting along the path with all my strength.
Suddenly, rocks began to plummet from the top of the cliff.
Huge round boulders rolled toward us as if we were in an Indiana Jones movie.
"Wait! Isn't this school insane!?"
"No, I think it's only insane today!?"
I didn't remember crossing rivers and dodging boulders on my usual route to school. It felt as if the entire school had transformed in a single day.
"Nozaki, Okajimaaaa!"
Ah, Terasaka was here too.
Muramatsu, Yoshida, and even Hazama were with him.
Even as we noticed them, we had no choice but to keep running for our lives.
We continued running in desperation.
"Which idiot disturbed a wasps' nest!?"
I heard Sugino's shout.
I had a very bad feeling.
"Dwaaaa! Wasps!!?"
"You idiot, don't scream, Okajima!"
The loud noise apparently agitated them. The wasps began to attack us fiercely.
This makes no sense—aren't wasps supposed to ignore white objects!? Is my silver hair useless here!?
The only feature I was proud of—the fact that I was less prone to wasp attacks because my hair color resembles my mother's—was completely struck from my mind today.
"Nozaki, Okajimaaaaaa!!?"
"Somebody help ussss!"
I agreed with everything the screaming Okajima said.
After several minutes of non-stop running, we finally reached the main building. Okajima suffered numerous wounds from insect stings and snake bites. As for me, it was a miracle that I only ended up with a soaked uniform from falling into the river.
"Are you okay, Okajima?"
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine... but, how are you still catching your breath so easily?"
"I trained hard under Mr. Karasuma."
"That's t-truly amazing..."
While Okajima panted heavily, I began to brush the dirt off my uniform. Meanwhile, the rest of my classmates arrived from the mountain.
Everyone was in a state of total exhaustion.
"Damn it, why is it only us..."
"Is this the time to complain? We worked hard to get here early, so let's line up now. I don't want to be punished by watering the school flowers again."
Everyone moved sluggishly despite their desire to rest.
I followed them into the gymnasium.
Well, no one is late today, so we won't be punished. It's true that Karma is absent, but no one would dare hold a truant from the isolated building accountable.
"Wow, they actually arrived early today."
"I never want to end up like them."
I ignored the whispers and mockery raining down on us from the sides. The assembly finally began.
By the way, the reason Class E students hate the general assembly isn't just the long distance.
It's because of the constant mockery that pours over us until the assembly starts, and the exaggerated bullying and humiliation we receive from students and teachers alike.
"You are all a chosen elite from across the country. However... there are some pathetic people like those over there. You elites must be careful not to become like them!"
"Ahahaha!!"
"Kyahaha!!"
For your information, the words preceding the laughter came from the Vice Principal. That alone is enough to tell you how dysfunctional this school is.
They don't do it as a mere anti-Class E move; they utter these words with complete spontaneity and sincerity.
Isn't that insane?
"And now, we move to an announcement from the Student Council."
As soon as the announcer said that, the mockery finally stopped. Silence would prevail for a while now.
How can those who cannot do a simple thing like remaining silent at an assembly—a skill even elementary students master—talk to us with such arrogance?
"Wait, who is this teacher?"
"He's so handsome and elegant~"
The noise began to return.
"Hello, I am Karasuma, the teacher for Class E. I apologize for the delay in introducing myself, as I am usually at the isolated campus. I will take this opportunity to greet you."
Oh, it's Mr. Karasuma.
"How wonderful! The guys in our building are so low-level; I envy them~"
Right? Our teacher Karasuma is very handsome, isn't he? As I was thinking that, the sound of approaching high heels echoed. Who could it be?
"What's this!? She looks like a Hollywood actress."
It's Ms. Irina. Is she still wearing high heels inside the gym? She should have at least swapped them for indoor slippers.
"Oh, Nagisa~"
On top of that, she started bothering Nagisa...
"Oh, look, Mr. Karasuma~!"
"I decorated the knife sheath~"
"Isn't it cute!?"
"It's fine if it's cute, but don't take it out here!? The assassination topic is a complete secret!?"
"U-Understood."
Mr. Karasuma...
You're really suffering with those two.
Anyway, isn't everyone supposed to look forward and stay quiet? Why are they making all this noise as if they're showing off their presence?
"Alright, did everyone receive the flyers summarizing the Student Council activities?"
Flyers? I didn't receive anything.
I asked those beside and behind me, but everyone shook their heads.
"Excuse me, Class E hasn't received our portion yet."
Isogai pointed this out from the front rows, but the response was...
"Oh, sorry It seems I forgot Class E's share. My apologies, Class E students will just have to memorize all the information and take it back in their heads"
That irresponsible statement was followed by vulgar, trite laughter. I couldn't help myself; the words flew from my mouth.
"Heh, to forget an entire class's flyers at an important assembly like this... I wonder who really suffers from a memory deficit?"
"What!?"
"Oh, my apologies. I raised my voice in the middle of the assembly. I deeply apologize. Ah, but that's fine, since we are in the middle of a group of people who can't even perform a basic task like keeping quiet during an assembly."
A sudden silence fell over the gym. As my words echoed, one of the teachers from another class rushed over and grabbed my arm firmly.
"... Nozaki, it's you. Come with me for a moment."
"Understood."
The teacher apprehended me and led me to the faculty room. ──
Another day of injustice and irrationality.
I only told the truth, yet I ended up listening to the teachers' reprimand: 'You're the one at fault because you're from Class E.'
Incidentally, at every assembly, I would respond to the mockery with words like these, and I always ended up in the faculty room for a lecture.
"Excuse me, I'll be late for the sixth period. May I be excused?"
"... Sigh. That's enough. Go."
"Thank you very much~"
By saying this, I prevent the teachers from further bothering me. Since they sent us to that building under the pretext that studying is the priority, claiming to be late for classes makes them let me go.
Although they call it a reprimand, I never heard a single useful word, but I mustn't forget to show fake gratitude. So I thanked them briefly and left the room.
Karma and I, as regulars of the faculty room, always use this method to escape the assembly or withdraw from it halfway.
Thanks to that, the teachers' dealings with me became very swift after I responded to the students' mockery. It seems they've grown completely accustomed to it.
Though Karma is always more skillful and fluid than I am at executing these moves.
Looking at the time, the assembly must have ended by now.
Since we decided to make the next period an ethics class given the time it takes to move to the isolated building, there was no need to rush.
As I was thinking that, I saw Nagisa.
It seemed some students were trying to harass him.
"Hey, you listening, Nagisa! I'll kill you!"
"── And you're the one who never even tried to kill."
Oh, Nagisa walked past the students of other classes as if he were pushing them aside. What's going on here?
I felt a strange aura emanating from Nagisa just now.
I thought I should intervene to help him, but it seemed my concern was misplaced.
Relieved, I decided to catch up with Nagisa, but the moment I took a step forward, a very familiar voice stopped me from behind.
"Keiichi."
The voice was slightly elevated and pedantic, suggesting arrogance and condescension.
Aside from Isogai, no one calls me by my first name with such excessive familiarity. And there is only one person who does that.
"What is it? Did you call me, Asano?"
A young man with reddish-brown hair, neatly styled—not quite the shade of Karma's hair. He is the person who has sat at the top since enrolling in this school. He doesn't just maintain the top rank in this school, but in national exams as well. The man I used to consider my rival.
When I turned around, I found Gakushuu Asano with his entourage of four.
What was it? Why was he stopping me here? Then I remembered he was the Student Council President, so I thought he came to scold me for being kicked out of the assembly.
In fact, it was customary for Asano to confront me after every assembly. This hadn't changed since I fell to Class E. He has this strange habit of pursuing me for a long time.
"Don't raise your voice at the assembly to provoke other students."
"Instead of saying that, as the Student Council President, shouldn't you be the one to warn those fools making noise during the assembly? I only mocked the fact that the assembly should be quiet. Also, what do you think about having an incompetent person on the Student Council who forgets an entire class's flyers?"
"What! How dare you say that!"
One of Asano's followers exploded in anger.
Rage was evident on his face; he looked as if he were on the verge of attacking, his veins pulsing. Well, it's natural for him to be angry when provoked by someone at the absolute bottom like me.
"We always hold the top five spots in the overall ranking! A piece of scum like you has no right to call us fools or incompetent!"
"There are people who are incompetent even if they aren't academically stupid. They get perfect marks on tests and a score of 3 in practical application. Does getting a degree from the University of Tokyo make you capable of working brilliantly? What a bunch of vacuous elitists."
"Damn you! You...!"
The follower stepped forward to grab my collar, but Asano stopped him with a single movement of his hand, and he smartly retreated.
A mere mindless lackey. The sight of him biting his lower lip in bitterness suited him perfectly, as if he were born for the role.
I wanted to say that, but I knew it would lead to a violent fight, so I preferred not to provoke him further.
Asano sighed and silenced his follower, then looked at me with boredom and spoke.
"Indeed, you're right. What happened wasn't a joke; it was bullying. Araki, at least distribute the materials normally."
"Even you, Asano-kun... I was just told this as well... aren't you siding with Class E too much?"
"We are Student Council members. Since they are students at this school, they are part of the Student Council and have the right to vote in elections and express opinions. Therefore, we should at least be neutral. Shouldn't we?"
"I-I see."
"That's how it is. My apologies for what happened, Keiichi."
"... No, I shouldn't have said that out loud either. My apologies."
I can never tell what goes on in Asano's mind.
But I don't believe his actions stem from pure goodwill. It's always difficult to imagine what this man is thinking.
Despite being the absolute ruler of the students in this school, I don't understand why he insists on pursuing someone who has fallen and failed like me.
The Student Council President who deals with everyone with a bright face, a clear voice, and exaggerated kindness. In the first general student assembly he participated in as a first-year, he was nominated by the previous president for the position. Since then, he has maintained his post for three years with overwhelming charisma.
Since I never understand what drives him to deal with me this way, I've come to regard Gakushuu Asano as a 'strange, rare specimen.'
"Is our conversation over? I want to return to my building."
"I understand, sorry for delaying you. I'm looking forward to the next exam. Do your best to return here again."
"Are you saying that sincerely?"
"Of course."
"Ah, okay."
It's always like this. After every assembly, he leaves behind words that I don't know are mockery or sincere intent, then he departs.
See? Dealing with someone whose intentions are unreadable is truly annoying. Doesn't that cause distress?
I shook my head and let out a long sigh, then began walking toward the Class E building.
I wonder if this tangled relationship with Asano will ever end? With so many thoughts, I couldn't help but let out one more sigh.
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