Classroom12.5

Classroom of the Elite 2nd year Volume 12.5

Chapter 7. Even After Graduation

When I returned to my room in the morning and checked my phone, I found a lot of calls and messages from Satou. This was to be expected, as Karuizawa must have told her that we had broken up.

As agreed, Karuizawa claimed that she had dumped me, probably understanding that if our stories didn't align, it could cause trouble later.

However, since Satou is one of Karuizawa's closest friends, she knew Karuizawa would never be the one to initiate a breakup. Naturally, she assumed I was the one who ended it.

Satou reached out, asking me to retract the breakup, but deep down, she must understand that matters of romantic relationships are typically decided by the people involved. There's only so much an outsider can do to help.

Still, her inability to hold back and her desire to stand up for Kei were understandable and hard to fault.

I left my dorm and headed toward the school's front gate, not because of Satou's contact yesterday, but because of a message I had received after the year-end special exam.

[I've gotten permission from Ryuuen-kun and decided to stay at the school for a little while longer. I have a lot I'd like to say, but please allow me to meet you at the school's main gate on the day I leave, March 31.]

I had agreed to meet Sakayanagi as requested, and we had finalized the specific time. My guess was that she wanted to make the most of the remaining time, settling matters concerning her class and other issues. She had decided to leave at 11 a.m. by taxi, and we were set to meet before that.

"Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun."

I arrived at the front gate ten minutes earlier than planned, only to find not only Sakayanagi Arisu, but her father, Chairman Sakayanagi as well.

"Good morning. Are you also here to see Sakayanagi-san off?"

Hearing my question, Chairman Sakayanagi nodded calmly, as usual.

"My daughter is about to start a new chapter of her life. I assume you're here to see her off as well?"

"Yes, we agreed to meet at 10:30. It seems you're not surprised by this arrangement, Chairman."

"Hmm? Ah, yes, her homeroom teacher, Majima-sensei, informed me before the special exam. Although it was a bit of a shock, I've decided to respect her choice. Of course, I understand that Arisu leaving will inconvenience her classmates, but I won't misuse my authority as chairman to interfere."

If he exercised his authority, he could easily overturn the bet and stop her withdrawal. But doing so would undermine the school's rules entirely.

"That's admirable."

I truly admired his conduct and attitude in his role as chairman.

Chairman Sakayanagi gave a slightly embarrassed smile, but then his expression turned serious.

"There's something I shouldn't bring up here, but I heard your father will be attending the three-way meeting as well."

"Apparently so. I'm not sure what brought him here."

"That man doesn't do meaningless things. He probably wants to personally confirm your growth and future plans."

Chairman Sakayanagi spoke with a smile, but I doubted that was the case. If my father wanted to check on my current situation, he had many ways to do so.

However, I did agree with his remark that "that man doesn't do meaningless things."

"If you run into trouble, feel free to come to me."

"Thank you. That's very reassuring."

"Ah," the chairman sighed softly.

"Are you thinking about my father?"

"No, I was thinking about Arisu. Actually, she made an unexpected and troublesome request."

"A troublesome request?"

"If you could persuade her, I think she might reconsider."

Chairman Sakayanagi wore a bitter smile, but just as I was about to ask what the request was...

"That won't do, Father. What are you planning to tell Ayanokouji-kun without my permission?"

"Uh...Arisu."

The chairman was visibly startled, breaking into a cold sweat.

Sakayanagi appeared, carrying no luggage but leaning on her cane.

She was accompanied by Morishita and Yamamura, likely there to see her off as classmates.

"No, um, it's nothing."

"That's good to hear. Please choose your words carefully."

It seemed she had already instructed her father to keep quiet.

"Ha ha... Well then, let's talk more when we get home today."

"Yes, we'll have a lovely father-daughter chat."

Chairman Sakayanagi gave a bitter smile. Until now, he had kept a certain distance from students as chairman, but that was no longer necessary.

"I have a simple question: where does Sakayanagi Arisu live?"

Morishita blurted out the question without hesitation, seemingly to change the atmosphere in the room.

Indeed, now that she brought it up, I was curious too. Teachers usually lived in the dorms, so what about the chairman?

"About a 15-minute drive from the school. There's also a direct bus route."

"So close!"

Morishita immediately blurted out in surprise upon hearing the answer.

Judging by the distance, the chairman's home is indeed close to the school. However, students at this school are generally only allowed to leave campus for club activities or under special circumstances.

Other than that, it's almost impossible, meaning he can't casually meet his daughter.

"The taxi will arrive in ten minutes. Could you let me have a moment to chat alone with Ayanokouji-kun?"

Hearing Sakayanagi's request, Morishita, Yamamura, and the chairman distanced themselves to ensure they couldn't overhear our conversation.

"I didn't expect Morishita and Yamamura to be the ones seeing you off."

"In the past, it would've been Masumi-san, Hashimoto-kun, and Kitou-kun, right?"

Kamuro was expelled from school, Hashimoto had betrayed her, and Kitou wasn't the type to remain composed in a farewell situation. In a way, none of those close to her had shown up.

"My time with Yamamura-san wasn't very long. It's also thanks to you, Ayanokouji-kun, that we became close."

And now, because of me, they have to part ways again.

"What about Morishita?"

"She seems to have been sticking close to Yamamura-san lately."

In other words, no one invited her; she came on her own.

"Morishita-san doesn't have anyone she's particularly close to, but recently she seems intent on connecting with Yamamura-san. Morishita-san is an intelligent and intuitive student; she might also be worried about the class's future."

"Maybe."

Though her personality is rather peculiar, I feel she possesses extraordinary talent.

The previous conversation I had with Morishita and Yamamura seems to have influenced them as well.

"So—the story between you and me, Ayanokouji-kun, will have to take a temporary pause for now."

"Indeed."

Sakayanagi raised her head, stared directly at me, and said bluntly:

"You really didn't want me as an opponent, did you? In the end, things turned out just as you wished. Does intervening in this match make you feel a bit guilty? Please allow me to interview you about your current feelings."

"Though I'd like to say I feel guilty, such superficial lies wouldn't work on you, would they?"

This was the sincerity Sakayanagi was expecting.

Naturally, she smiled happily.

"Honestly, Sakayanagi, you are indeed super strong. I don't know how the year-end special exam went, but there's no doubt your ability is undoubtedly above Ryuuen's. However—"

"Whether it's Ryuuen-kun, Horikita-san, or Ichinose-san, they all all have plenty of room to grow. What color they'll eventually become, no one can predict."

"Exactly. I want to witness their growth."

"Even though I already knew the answer in my heart, hearing it said still stings a little."

"Sorry."

"It's fine. I know that's just the kind of person you are. Besides, staying or leaving was my decision. If there's anyone to blame, it's myself for being too good at understanding your intentions."

I, of course, had no way of knowing how the exam would end.

I merely considered between Ryuuen and Sakayanagi, whom I would prefer to remain, and passed along the message to achieve that outcome.

Whether or not to pass the message was Ryuuen's choice. Whether or not to accept or understand it was entirely up to Sakayanagi herself.

That being said, understanding Ryuuen's character and Sakayanagi's thinking, I could predict the likelihood of this result was not low.

"Even though your words have a bit of malice, I don't intend to blame you, Ayanokouji-kun. However, tit for tat—let's settle the favor you owe me properly."

Indeed, there was still a favor I owed Sakayanagi.

"Fair enough. If it can be resolved, I'd like to settle it now. What do you want?"

"Then allow me to make two requests."

From the beginning, I had no intention of refusing. I waited to hear her requests.

"First, hmm… let's see, how about you give me a passionate kiss right now?"

What a mischievous suggestion, making it hard to tell if she was serious or joking.

"How… should I interpret that?"

Sakayanagi took a step closer, gently lifted her chin, and closed her eyes.

To be honest, I was so startled I didn't dare look at the expressions of the three people watching us from the side.

Just as I was about to confirm again, "Is this really what you want?" Sakayanagi slowly opened her eyes.

"Hehe, I was just joking."

"…What a mischievous joke."

I breathed a sigh of relief.

If it had been in front of classmates, it might still have been manageable, but with her father, the chairman, also present…

"Before making my first request, I want to confirm I'm not overthinking. Let me ask you: my part in this story isn't over yet, is it?"

Hearing her words, I glanced at the chairman, then quickly shifted my gaze back to Sakayanagi.

"You can foresee 10 or even 20 steps ahead. Surely, the benefits of me voluntarily withdrawing, beyond allowing Ryuuen to stay, must include something else, right?"

As expected of Sakayanagi, she could deduce answers without needing hints at her level of strategy and thought.

"I am indeed laying plans, but I can't predict exactly how the future will turn out."

"That's fine. Just hearing that you have plans for the future is enough to satisfy me."

"You might simply be someone I'm using, you know?"

"Even so, I don't want to sever my connection with you, Ayanokouji-kun. Though our paths have diverged at this school, I haven't given up on the idea of facing you again in the future. Over the next year, I'll keep challenging myself to become a worthy opponent for you. So please promise me that once you leave this school, you'll meet me again."

"Is that your first request?"

"Yes."

Sakayanagi answered immediately.

"There may be things beyond my control. Are you sure such a promise is acceptable?"

"I trust you, Ayanokouji-kun."

Her gaze became even more resolute, her answer even more firm.

"I see. If it's with someone like you, Sakayanagi, there's a good chance we'll meet again."

As I mentioned before, many things are beyond my control. Even so, I hope that someday, I'll be able to change the future with my own hands. Perhaps the promise to reunite with Sakayanagi will help significantly.

"I know about your situation in the White Room, of course. But right now, you're standing here. Your life is yours to decide. Please don't forget that."

"Yeah, it'd be nice if I could truly believe that someday."

For now, this was all I could say in response.

Sakayanagi nodded with satisfaction.

"And the second request?"

"Well… how should I put this? It's a request that involves the future direction of the class after I leave. It might sound a bit presumptuous, and I've been struggling with it."

After this opening, Sakayanagi made her request.

"It's about how to handle Hashimoto going forward. I haven't gone into detail with the class about everything that happened."

"How many students are suspicious of Hashimoto, I don't know. But right now, without conclusive evidence, the principle of 'innocent until proven guilty' applies."

Upon hearing this response, Sakayanagi agreed.

"But someone must know what he's done, what he intended to do, and ultimately draw a conclusion. Could I entrust you with the authority to judge him, with no deadline?"

"So, over the next year, I would have the final say in determining right and wrong?"

"Exactly. Forgiveness or punishment—I have mixed feelings about both. Originally, I wanted to continue observing him to see where things would go, but now that's no longer possible."

Having the authority to make the final decision didn't seem like a problem, so I agreed.

"Understood. I'll take on this task as a judge."

"Thank you. Then, I'll use this as my material when I meet with Masumi-san."

Rather than joy at their reunion, Kamuro would probably be stunned first.

"Alright, it's about time to call the others over."

"Wait a moment—there's one more thing before we say goodbye."

I took out my phone and brought up a picture of Sakayanagi I'd taken in my room before.

In front of her, I deleted it.

"I kept this as a precaution, but it's no longer necessary."

"Oh my, does that mean your girlfriend has already—?"

"Kei figured it out on her own."

"I see. With strong resolve, she'll surely bounce back."

Even if she can't recover on her own, Kei has friends she can rely on.

"So, that means Ayanokouji-kun is single again, right?"

"Yes."

"In that case, there should be no reason to refuse my request for a kiss."

After saying that, Sakayanagi gave a mischievous smile and gently spread her arms.

"Surely this much is fine, right? Consider it a farewell gift."

There wasn't much time left.

I extended my arms and quietly pulled Sakayanagi into an embrace.

"I still have a lot to say, and parting is difficult. But for now, keeping these feelings is enough. I look forward to the day we meet again."

"Yes."

At present, my future seemed like a dead end, but situations could change.

The Sakayanagi in my arms was small and seemed fragile.

But among the people I've known, she possessed a strength that others lacked.

I had a strong premonition.

In the near future, we would meet again in the outside world.

1.

During the remaining time, Sakayanagi spent her moments talking with her classmates.

As the time for departure approached, Yamamura tried her best to hold back her tears. But when Sakayanagi apologized again and expressed her hope for a reunion, Yamamura couldn't help but cry.

For her, Sakayanagi might have been her first true friend, someone she wanted to spend her final school year with.

Even so, Yamamura ultimately found the resolve and made a promise to meet again.

Morishita observed the two of them, showing neither envy nor sadness. She seemed to be thinking about the future of the class.

After seeing Sakayanagi off at the main entrance, we said goodbye to Sakayanagi's father and prepared to return to the dormitory.

Yamamura might not have adjusted her mindset yet, but now was the best time.

I decided to address the two former Class A students.

"Actually, when Sakayanagi and I spoke earlier, she entrusted me with a suggestion. It's something very important for your class."

"A suggestion…?"

Cutting straight to such a potentially helpful topic made Yamamura visibly excited.

But Morishita frowned slightly, as though trying to uncover the true meaning behind my words.

"A suggestion? If it's that important, shouldn't it have been conveyed to classmates like us, rather than Ayanokouji? And leaving it until the very last moment?"

"Th-this… now that you mention it… that's true."

Did I come across as too deliberate? No matter, for now.

"Considering there's still a traitor in the class, keeping the information secure is understandable, at least to some extent…"

In truth, what I was about to share wasn't Sakayanagi's suggestion but something I had decided myself.

Finding it suspicious or distrusting was a natural, sharp reaction.

"Despite your concerns, it's necessary for me to share her advice."

"If it's that necessary, fine. It's suspicious, but we won't know if we can accept it until we hear it. Speak."

Crossing her arms, Morishita waited for me to explain.

So, I laid out the situation to her and Yamamura.

At first, Morishita's expression was stiff, but as the topic progressed, her pupils began to widen.

On the other hand, Yamamura seemed overwhelmed by the complexity, her thoughts visibly jumbled.

"This is Sakayanagi's suggestion for how your class should fight next year."

"You're saying this strategy… but can it even be approved?"

"Whether it's allowed or not, there have already been many similar cases up to now."

However, compared to those cases, this suggestion felt far more impactful.

"True. Even if we're at a dead end now, if this succeeds, it opens up new possibilities."

Imagining the unknown prospects, Morishita seemed to understand to some extent.

"Morishita-san, how much do you think this improves our chances of winning?"

"Previously, it was around 10%. If this plan works, it goes up to at least 25%. Factoring in potential expectations, the odds could climb higher. But unforeseen difficulties could arise, and there are plenty of worrying factors. Can this really be achieved?"

Their concerns were something I had already prepared solutions for.

After providing further explanation, Morishita and Yamamura instinctively exchanged glances.

"Even if all the uncertainties can be resolved, there's still a bigger challenge waiting for us."

I nodded in agreement and explained the solution to that challenge.

Of course, a solution is just a solution; whether it can be successfully implemented is a different matter.

Moreover, this is a continuous process—if one step goes wrong, none of it can be achieved.

After hearing everything, Morishita was the first to speak:

"Are you… insane?"

It was indeed difficult to believe.

"I'd like to hear your honest opinion, Morishita."

"Well, if the solution is feasible, it's honestly a godsend. That way, saving our class from losing motivation wouldn't be as exhausting."

"We… we should adopt it. After all, this isn't just anyone's suggestion—it's from Sakayanagi-san."

As a friend, Yamamura wanted to try no matter what.

But Morishita remained deep in thought until the very end.

"Ayanokouji Kiyotaka , I have one question for you."

"What is it?"

"Is this truly Sakayanagi Arisu's suggestion? Or is it merely your own idea?"

"I've already answered that."

"Well, it's actually a meaningless question. Since Sakayanagi Arisu has left the school, it's impossible to verify. Let me rephrase—what's in it for you to intervene and relay Sakayanagi's strategy, or rather, her suggestion, to the former Class A students? If you can't explain that, I won't accept it."

A natural suspicion.

If I claimed it was purely out of goodwill, Morishita would certainly reject it.

"My goal is to achieve a certain outcome before graduation—to maintain the competitive tension among the four classes until the very end of our third year. To ensure every class has a chance at victory. For that, adopting Sakayanagi's suggestion is the best course. As for whether I graduate from Class A or who ultimately emerges victorious in the class competition, those are secondary concerns."

It might sound unbelievable. After all, in this unique school, the fight for the top Class A position is paramount.

Helping other classes is practically unheard of.

"That's absurd. I want to say I can't accept this…"

After a moment of thought, Morishita calmly analyzed my words and actions further.

"If we assume everything you say is true—are you okay with this, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka? In other words, disregarding whether Class A is involved or not, you're effectively betraying your own class."

"This isn't my first offense. I've done as I pleased behind the scenes many times before."

"I see. Then it's hard for us to feel purely grateful. This helping hand of yours might very well be laced with poison."

That's one way to look at it.

I was indeed ignoring the interests of my own class to help another.

In other words, while helping Morishita's class now, I could very well be helping another class elsewhere without their knowledge.

"If you find it risky, rejecting it outright is also an option."

But I knew Morishita's answer.

They had no retreat left—only two paths remained: move forward or give up.

"We'll have to go all in. Since we're already cornered, taking a gamble is our best option. The rest will be up to the class to decide for themselves."

After all, Morishita was merely one student in the class. Unlike Sakayanagi, she wasn't widely recognized as a leader.

"I'll start preparing immediately—"

"Wait!"

Just as Morishita was about to take action, a voice called out from a distance.

A girl from the first year, Negishi, approached us at a jog.

"Kiyotaka-senpai, I'm Negishi from the first year. Um, could you please accept this?"

She spoke with a trembling voice as she handed me an envelope.

"What's this?"

When I asked, Negishi blushed deeply and ran off.

"First you hug Sakayanagi Arisu, and now you're getting a love letter from a junior? You really are something."

"A l-love letter?"

"A nervous expression, a plain envelope, a girl fleeing with a red face… I can smell romance in the air, can't you, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka?"

"I don't smell anything at all."

"Who knows if you do or not?"

A sharp jab.

But what exactly was in the envelope?

"It could also be that she's passing it on for another girl who's too shy to say it herself."

I looked at the back of the envelope, but there was no special marking.

"Open it and find out. The bold words inside will no doubt etch themselves into your memory."

Following Morishita's instigation, I opened the envelope. Inside was a plain white sheet of paper.

Unfolding it, I saw the contents—

"This is… a phone number, isn't it?"

Yamamura anxiously peeked at the paper and blurted out.

An 11-digit phone number, starting with the initial "N."

"Well, that works too. Instead of expressing her feelings through writing, she probably wants to say them directly to you."

"Maybe."

The moment I saw the initial, I knew who the sender was.

Morishita and Yamamura assumed it was from Negishi herself, but that wasn't the case.

The initial "N" matched her name, but only one person would go out of their way to leave a phone number in letter form.

Having Negishi deliver it was a subtle hint to the initial.

The sender likely wanted to express gratitude for the previous incident.

"Quick, give her a call and whisper sweet nothings."

I couldn't understand why someone unrelated like Morishita was so excited about this.

"There's no need for that right now."

"Oh, playing hard to get? So how long will you make her wait?"

"At the earliest? A year from now."

"By then, you'll already have graduated."

That's all there was to the phone number.

As I pondered this, I slipped the letter into my pocket.