As soon as school ended, I went straight back to the dorms, cooked with the ingredients I bought yesterday and had a simple dinner.

Around the time the pot was getting close to empty, my phone’s call alert went off. I checked who dared to interrupt my sacred mealtime and of course, it was the obvious guy.

“What is it, Hirata?”

“Ayanokoji, you picked up. I heard what Horikita said to Sudō and the others, that you made another study group aimed at improving the class average. If there’s anything I can do to help, I’ll help with whatever I can.”

From Hirata’s point of view, since a lot of girls join his study group because of him, it seems he’s genuinely happy that there’s now a way to help the boys who hesitate to join.

Helping is fine, but this is a place for Horikita’s growth, so it’d be troublesome if someone else got involved in a leading way.

“And really, thank you, Ayanokoji. Thanks to you, it feels like Horikita got a chance to comfortably mingle with her classmates.”

So he’s figured out that this was a spot I deliberately set up for Horikita. He’s misunderstanding, though. Hirata will think I’m granting his request, but this is only about accelerating Horikita’s growth for my match with the student council president.

Still, from an outsider’s perspective it’s a perfectly plausible read, so I’ll accept it.

“If you understand, then from now on, discuss the study group with Horikita, not me. I left everything including the operation of this study group to Horikita. I’ll only come by now and then to check if it’s running properly and support with points when a lot are needed. Only call me if something happens that Horikita truly can’t handle.”

“Got it. I’ll keep that in mind.”

With that, I succeeded in pulling in Hirata without giving him a direct connection point to Horikita. If Horikita has any brains, she won’t drive away Hirata, who can help with operating the study group. And since I’m involved, she won’t be able to put up pointless pride either.

“I’m really grateful you always help, Ayanokoji. I want to repay you somehow...”

“Even if you add up all your and the girls who hover around you’s private points, it still won’t be that different from mine, so you don’t need to push yourself.”

“Still, I’m really thankful. If there’s a chance next time, let’s eat together with Karuizawa. I’ll treat you to something good.”

“Your girlfriend’s going to hate having a meal with me.”

“No, Karuizawa likes Ayanokoji so much.”

Hirata, there’s no point telling lies that’ll obviously be exposed, you know? Everyone can tell just by looking at the expression Karuizawa usually gives me.

I let out a deep sigh and decided to end the call properly.

“Anyway, work hard so we can get as high an average as possible on the finals. Since it’s a known reliable way to raise class points right away, we can’t let our guard down.”

“Got it. You prepare well for finals too.”

With encouragement that meant nothing to me, my call with Hirata ended.

Still, it wasn’t a call that just wasted time. By making it possible to receive Hirata’s help, I provided Horikita with the best possible environment. Now, depending on whether she takes that help or not, she can build her ability to the fullest.

I’m curious how many people joined the study group tomorrow. Ideally, six to eight is best.

‘Still, since I’m involved, there’s no way it’ll be under six, right?’

* * *

The day after creating the study group, I received the list of members from Horikita in the morning and my hand started trembling.

“Twenty-three? More than half the class chose it?”

“The moment it became known you were sponsoring it, even the kids who were going to join Hirata’s study group changed their minds and applied. Honestly, I’m not a teacher, so teaching all twenty-three by myself is tough. If we’re going to start like this, I think we need to pick more people to teach by splitting levels.”

Faced with the unexpectedly enlarged scale, I grabbed my throbbing head.

This study group was supposed to be run with a small number of people for the purpose of improving Horikita’s personal ability. If it turns into a large-scale study group like this, it diverges from what I intended.

“Think of it as karma. This is your fault, if you hadn’t made five people get perfect 100s in all subjects through leaking questions, it wouldn’t be like this.”

To think the past would come back as a boomerang here. Naturally, all five people I helped had applied to Horikita’s study group.

“This is too many people. Cut it down appropriately. To around six to eight.”

“Do you think that’s possible? Cutting people here would make you prove your own lack of ability. The people who can’t get in will think you don’t have the talent to manage teaching many people and they’ll start doubting your meritocracy.”

At that, I glared at Horikita.

I had nothing to say. If this were a company trying to turn a profit, cutting excess staff would be correct, but this study group was practically made with my ability as the slogan. The moment I cut applicants, I’d be proving a lack of ability. I hate that more than dying.

For Incompetent-kita to pinpoint the crux like that... taste this.

“Then Horikita, tell me your opinion. A way to control this many people and teach efficiently.”

“What? No, isn’t that something the person who made the study group should think about?”

“I told you, I’m leaving study management entirely to you. We have to finalize the study schedule by today, so think it through by after school today.”

At the sudden time limit, Horikita flinched.

“Are you out of your mind? How am I supposed to do all this alone?”

“I never said to do it alone.”

“What?”

Maybe I can use this situation as a chance to improve Horikita’s biggest problem, her narrow relationships and lack of cooperativeness.

“You said it yourself, we have to recruit more people to teach by splitting levels. Doesn’t that mean you need collaborators?”

“Does it look like there’s anyone who’d obediently listen to what I say?”

“That’s a boomerang from your own actions, so it can’t be helped. Change that confrontational stance first and increase your allies on your own.”

Even though I gave pretty realistic advice, Horikita looked like she didn’t like it.

“But if more people get involved, control gets harder. This is Class D, they’re not cooperative to begin with. Doesn’t that mean more annoying problems?”

“Annoying...”

Looks like I need to teach this incompetent girl, step by step, why having people to cooperate matters.

“Listen carefully. We don’t know what special situation might appear in the future to increase class points. If physical ability becomes important, you need sports-specialized talent. Sudō, even if he has problems with academics and behavior, is useful in that sense. The important thing is putting the right person in the right place.”

“But that’s only if you use them properly. If they don’t follow orders, having them is pointless.”

“That just sounds like you don’t have the ability to control people.”

“...That’s what you’re best at. If you, who’s capable at handling people however you want, do it, it’ll save time and be better.”

Since she isn’t denying it, it seems she knows she lacks the ability to handle people. The problem is that she doesn’t try to fix it because of that flimsy pride and instead tries to dump it on others.

“Didn’t you say you’d become like your brother?”

At that, Horikita’s gaze wavered. As expected, the best way to snap this girl into shape is to bring up the student council president.

“I heard your brother, the student council president, actively led Class A, which was shaky even from the first year and earned the admiration of everyone in Class A. And that continued until now. Can you do that?”

“I can! I’ll definitely make Class D into Class A, so...”

“You tried to dump it on me because you can’t even handle controlling twenty-three people, yet you’re saying you’ll lead a class? Didn’t I always emphasize it? Know. Your. Place.”

At my words packed with facts, Horikita bit her lower lip with a frustrated expression. I kept talking without caring.

“I’ll say it again, I left the entire study process to you and I’ll only do minimal monitoring and sponsorship. If you truly want to catch up to your brother, then at least try to make an effort that resembles it.”

“Then can’t I just give you orders and make you follow?”

“I told you to know your place. Do I look like your subordinate? Don’t get it twisted. In Class D, everyone is equal. With exactly one person above them, me. As advice, if you keep acting with that high-handed attitude even after the study starts, it’ll fall apart in a short time like the first midterm study group. Then Class A will only be a dream.”

Horikita has a major defect, she gets combative with anyone she doesn’t like. Unless she gets properly targeted and crushed by someone stronger than her, she can never fix it. If the experiences of being stepped on and pressed down by me several times have been carved into her memory properly, Horikita should have realized by now that her method is wrong.

No, she has to realize it. If she still doesn’t understand even after I’m telling her this blatantly, then she’s trash with not even a shred of value to be found.

“Then what am I supposed to do...”

Thankfully, Horikita didn’t show any uglier behavior beyond that.

Well, since she’s a girl who’s never handled anyone and doesn’t know how to handle them, I’ll give her a hint.

“I said the right person in the right place, didn’t I? Even if you control things, you don’t have to do everything directly yourself. Make the right person for the role do it.”

“Then... you mean Hirata?”

“Hirata’s fine, but if I had to recommend, I’d recommend Kushida. Besides us, she’s close with and trusted by the whole class, so you can make her handle preventing problems and encouraging people. And Kushida applied to the study group too, so it’s perfect.”

Kushida’s dangerous because her insides are filthy, but if we can monitor her well from inside, it’s also possible to restrain her so she can’t do anything reckless. It’ll be hard to use her long-term, but for gathering Class D right now, she has value.

But Horikita looked like she had some complaints. Come to think of it, she was like this too when I paired her with Kushida during the Sudō incident investigation.

“What are you so dissatisfied about? You don’t like Kushida? It’s just a means for unity anyway. Or are you going to go one by one and persuade kids you’re not even close with?”

At my words, Horikita couldn’t say anything. She definitely understands with her head that it’s better for Kushida to help.