* * *

“Nothing going on at lunch? Why don’t we eat together?”

The next day after meeting the student council president, when lunchtime came, I spoke to Horikita. Horikita immediately grew suspicious that I was trying to pull some scheme again.

“You saying something like that means the sun must be rising in the west. What are you plotting?”

“What plot? I’m just saying we should eat together. I’ll buy whatever you want.”

“I don’t trust it. You already have Class C friends you eat with.”

“Unfortunately, Hiyori has club business, so she’s eating separately. More importantly, if you can’t accept someone’s kindness as it is, you’re finished as a human, you know?”

At my words, Horikita still didn’t lose her suspicion. It’s true that it’s suspicious for a meritocrat like me, who mocked Horikita as incompetent, to suddenly invite her to eat together.

“If you don’t want to, fine. Come to think of it, yesterday I met the student council president and what did he say again?”

“...Cafeteria?”

This severely brother-obsessed human followed behind me the moment I even mentioned the student council president. Incompetent people really are easy to manipulate.

Horikita knew I had plenty of points, so she chose a moderately expensive high-end Western set meal. After we ordered, we secured a seat and sat down.

“Still suspicious. Are you sure I can really eat this?”

Maybe she forgot how she obediently ordered just now, because Horikita kept sending me a wary look. It was probably because I ordered a free mountain-vegetable set meal, in contrast to her expensive meal. She assumed I must have some ulterior motive if I, who earn the most points in Class D, ordered a free meal.

“Have you lived being tricked your whole life? Eat already.”

“You have plenty of points, so I don’t even understand why you’re eating a free set in the first place.”

“For health and saving. Unlike incompetent people, I don’t do pathetic things like wasting points.”

I casually dissed all of Class D while naturally scooping up soup and eating it. Watching that, Horikita stared at me like she was checking if it was really safe to eat.

She might not understand, but she couldn’t keep not eating forever. Seeing me eating calmly without paying her any mind, Horikita’s tension loosened slightly and she took a spoonful of risotto.

“Then this might be sudden, but will you hear me out?”

As if I had been waiting for this moment, I began stating my business.

“Since the midterms, all of Class D has properly recognized the situation they’re in and started acting correctly. But there are always lingering unstable factors.”

“...Unstable factors? Are you saying Class D is messed up right now?”

Horikita asked back like she didn’t understand.

“For the finals right now, Hirata is recruiting upper-rank students into the study group, but there are a lot of stupid incompetent girls in that study group who can raise their own level to some extent and just want Hirata to like them, so some of the boys and a few incompetent people who genuinely want to raise their grades aren’t adapting well.”

“Isn’t that just an excuse? If you score 50 points or more, you can definitely avoid failing. The hurdle isn’t that high. Putting adaptation aside, it sounds like a willpower issue.”

“Willpower matters in studying, but so does environment. Hirata’s study plan has a lot of holes. At this rate, we might avoid failing, but we won’t be able to raise the average and gain a large amount of class points.”

During midterms, Hirata and Horikita’s efforts mattered, but there was also the sense of crisis from the immediate situation, so the study strategy combined with my exam leak created strong synergy. But now, after quite some time has passed, the situation is different.

Everyone is studying enough to avoid failing and most don’t know how to maximize their grades. A study group isn’t meant to merely avoid failing, it’s meant to raise grades. Hirata’s study group is focused on fail-salvaging and has no plan for the most important thing, raising the average.

Since the exam leak method won’t work this time, we need a new strategy.

“We need a study group that aims for grade improvement, not fail-salvaging. A study group where low-rankers, mid-rankers and even broadly top-rankers can participate for the purpose of improving scores.”

“...I get what you’re trying to say. But why are you telling me this?”

“Why else, do you still not understand?”

Of course, the study group leader has to be Horikita.

“I’m making you oversee, manage and teach.”

“I wondered what you were talking about after suddenly calling me out. If you’re going to do a study group, wouldn’t it be better for you to do it rather than me? If it’s you with perfect 100s in every subject teaching, everyone would rush in like crazy.”

Am I insane? Why would I do something that annoying? More importantly, this is to make you grow.

“Unfortunately, I don’t even have enough time to keep Ryūen in check. As long as we don’t know what he’ll scheme next, I can’t spare attention for something like a study group. I’ll get involved by occasionally observing and checking it and by providing financial support for operations.”

“You know that’s just an excuse, right? If you’re that focused on other classes, when do you do your own studying?”

“Personal studying? Unfortunately, I’ve never done personal studying since coming to this school. I mastered the full three-year high school curriculum long ago. That level doesn’t even require review.”

Horikita’s brow furrowed. It seemed she didn’t like my attitude of treating academics, the student’s basics, like a joke. But really, what am I supposed to do about that?

“Then why me? You could tell Hirata and bring in a few who are good at studying.”

“Because there’s no one more suitable than you.”

Calmly, I explained why Horikita had to take the role.

“In the last midterms, you saved the three idiots who were basically guaranteed failing candidates and you reformed Sudō, who was basically the class’s contaminant at the time, that was a huge performance. With your name value and the fact that I’m backing you, a lot of students will follow. Above all, we’re both top-tier academically, so we can reliably expect score increases. And since we’re both girls, we can be sure the boys who avoid Hirata will participate.”

With a rational explanation like this, Horikita should have had to say yes.

“I understand your intent. But I’m still suspicious. You know it makes no sense for someone like you, who doesn’t even care what happens to Class D, to start a study group.”

That reaction is natural if a traitor to the class suddenly claims to do something for the class. It’s fine. I ‘forgave’ Horikita precisely for situations like this.

“Didn’t I tell you before? You have to prove your ability so that the incompetent people in the class can firmly recognize my competence. These finals are the perfect chance for an academically strong you to perform capably, aren’t they?”

“So you’re just using me for your own satisfaction. I don’t care whether you preach meritocracy or not and I don’t want to get involved, so don’t pull me in.”

“But you ate, didn’t you? The lunch I bought you. A high-end Western set meal, not the special set, but still luxurious enough to be excessive for an incompetent palate, it was great, right?”

I immediately brought up the lunch I bought her. Horikita glared at me like she knew I would.

“I accepted your kindness as it was.”

“Sorry, but this isn’t kindness, it’s coercion.”

“Fine, then I’ll buy you food worth that amount of points too, that means I don’t owe you anything.”

“As expected, Horikita. I knew you’d say you’d help.”

“Do you have a hearing problem? I clearly refused.”

“No, I heard the voice of your heart. You said you’re truly grateful that even a lowly incompetent person like you can be of help to a capable person like me.”

At my sneer, Horikita stared at me silently, fiercely.

“I always feel it, but I really can’t stand you.”

“So what are you going to do? Cooperate or make me your enemy? You don’t even need me to say what’s more rational, right?”

As if I were pressing a gun to Horikita’s head, I persuaded her with threat-laced words.

Since I’ve done all kinds of bizarre, unbelievable things, Horikita would have no choice but to accept my proposal to prevent the class from collapsing.

“Just remember, I still haven’t forgiven what you did before when you tried to test me.”

“All I remember is being threatened.”

“Really? I think I just told you normally not to test me.”

“You’re filthy and petty...”

“Hm, I’m done. Then I’ll handle posting the study recruitment notice, so you prepare the curriculum properly by tomorrow. You got my phone number and email address from Hirata before, right? If there’s a problem, contact me immediately.”

Confident Horikita would follow my words, I stood first.

With this, I’ve prepared a place for Horikita’s growth. Horikita, a loner with not a single friend, will gain considerable trust within the class through this and broadly, we can even expect she might make friends.

And that will become a shackle that returns as a trial.

Can you overcome this trial? Show me the potential the student council president swore you had, Horikita Suzune.

I’ll gladly make you into my loyal right hand and raise you until you can become a core figure of the class.