Chapter 255 081: Because it concerns themselves, Class D is unprecedentedly united!

The news that Sakayanagi Arisu is the chairman's daughter first spread to the second-year students.

In the Class 2-A classroom, Nagumo Miyabi leaned back in his chair, spinning a pen in his hand, his expression complex. He had just finished listening to the news brought by Asahina Nazuna—that Sakayanagi Arisu's father was the chairman of Advanced Nurturing High School, and that this chairman had recently been taken away.

Asahina's tone was very flat when she said these things, but Nagumo knew she was reminding him.

"So, Sakayanagi-kouhai is actually the chairman's daughter?" Nagumo put down the pen and folded his hands on the desk. "I should have guessed it. The surname is Sakayanagi, and there aren't many people with that surname."

"You wanted to compete with her before," Asahina said, leaning against the window. "What about now?"

Nagumo was silent for two seconds. "Forget it. I won't hold it against her."

He paused. "If I had known she was the chairman's daughter, I wouldn't have provoked her. That incident before... thinking about it now, it's a good thing it didn't escalate."

He said "forget it," but he still felt uncomfortable. Sakayanagi had played him several times. At the time, he thought she was just a clever first-year he could deal with however he pleased. He was afraid of Hikigaya, but not of Sakayanagi. He had hoped the cross-grade special exam next month would be a chance to get back at her.

And now? Now he knew that wasn't just a first-year student; it was the daughter of the chairman.

As someone capable of leading Class B to Class A and serving as the vice president of the Student Council, Nagumo wasn't stupid. Although Chairman Sakayanagi had been taken away, the previous chairman had also been a Sakayanagi. In other words, this position was actually hereditary. Therefore, the fact that Chairman Sakayanagi was taken away didn't mean he couldn't come back.

"But come to think of it," Nagumo leaned back in his chair, "since she is the chairman's daughter, she should know many things we don't."

Asahina looked at him. "You mean—"

"For example, the matter of the chairman being taken away now," Nagumo's voice lowered slightly. "She probably knew about it a long time ago."

Asahina didn't respond. It had been raining for several days, and she walked to the window, looking at the gloomy sky outside. The rain was still falling, fine and dense, as if it would never

stop. As a senior, she didn't know what Sakayanagi Arisu was thinking, but she knew that if she were Sakayanagi, she probably wouldn't have it easy. Her father had been taken away, and she was still at school, having to face all the rumors and gossip.

Asahina withdrew her gaze. "Miyabi, you're right. Don't provoke her."

Nagumo was silent for a few seconds. "I know. Also, the rumors about this in our class end here." He wasn't stupid; he knew clearly that this was likely someone attacking Sakayanagi.

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In Class 2-B, Kiriyama Ikuto sat in his seat, watching the rain outside the window. He had been silent for a long time after hearing the news about Sakayanagi Arisu. He was thinking—if he had contacted Sakayanagi more during the first-year school-leaving exam last semester, or sought more cooperation or advice, would Class 2-B be different now?

At that time, Sakayanagi had approached him, saying Nagumo was interfering with the first-year exam, and asked if he was willing to join forces. He had agreed, but he hadn't given it his all. He wanted to wait and see, feeling there was still a chance.

And the result? Class 2-B was still Class 2-B, getting further and further away from Class A, never to catch up.

"Kiriyama," a classmate's voice came from the side, "what's wrong?"

Kiriyama shook his head. "Nothing. Just thinking about some things."

What he didn't say out loud was that he regretted it. He felt there had been a chance for his class to ascend, but he hadn't grasped it.

In the corner, Kiryuin Fuka turned a page of her book, as if she hadn't heard the discussion. Her expression was calm, no different from usual, but she, of course, knew Sakayanagi Arisu was the chairman's daughter. After all, they had known each other for a long time.

What she really cared about was something else—this news didn't come out by accident. Who was most likely to do such a thing? Who would benefit from such rumors?

Kiryuin put down her book, pulled her phone out of her pocket, opened the chat box with Sakayanagi, and typed a line: [I heard about the rumors. Who did it?]

The reply came very quickly: [Ayanokouji Kiyotaka from Class 1-D.]

Kiryuin looked at the name, her brow twitching slightly. That kouhai from Class D again. She had heard this name in the second year—the person who chased from second-to-last to fourth in the sports festival, the person ostracized by the whole of Class D.

Because it was a closed school, once something got big, other grades would know. Second-year students had discussed him in private, saying he was "emotionless" and "like a machine." Kiryuin had no interest in these evaluations, but at this moment, seeing the name, she felt an indescribable discomfort. She didn't like such people. She liked people with humanity, warmth, and who cared for others.

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka was clearly not that type. Someone who would spread news of someone's father being taken away, someone who would use someone's family tragedy to hit an opponent—such a person was from a completely different world than her.

Kiryuin put her phone away and continued reading. She didn't ask further, nor did she say anything else. But she remembered the name.

In Class 1-B, Ryuen Kakeru leaned back in his chair, his legs propped up on the table, holding a can of soda. He had also just heard about Sakayanagi and had a smirk on his face.

"So Sakayanagi really did enter the class with 'funds,'" Ryuen shook the soda can. "The chairman's daughter, no wonder she was so calm."

"Entered with funds?" Ibuki Mio stood by the window, arms crossed. "She shouldn't have entered the original Class A through the back door. If it were by connections, the students of the original Class A wouldn't have been so submissive to her."

Ryuen glanced at her. "Of course I know. If it were really the back door, how would the original Class A students obey? She has the strength. She didn't stand firm in Class A by relying on her father's name." He paused. "However, she probably wants to run away now."

Shiina Hiyori, sitting in her seat, looked up upon hearing this. "Run away? You mean transfer classes?"

"Yeah." Ryuen put down the soda can. "Class C doesn't have much hope. Although the point gap with Class A is shrinking, with Sakayanagi's vision and pattern, she won't stay in a class she can't catch up to forever. Transferring classes is a more cost-effective choice."

Hiyori's eyelashes trembled slightly. She didn't answer, but she felt Ryuen's speculation was correct. Sakayanagi-san was a very smart person; if she couldn't catch up to Hikigaya-kun, then the only choice was to transfer classes. To transfer to Hikigaya-kun's class.

So, looking at it this way, Sakayanagi-san was probably already looking for a way out, while the rest of Class C was still happy about winning against Class A once.

"It's because she doesn't want to face Hikigaya-kun's Class A, right?" Hiyori's voice was very soft.

Ryuen looked at her, silent for a second. "That guy Hikigaya is still very dangerous. He didn't make much of a move in this exam, but I always feel—that I'm still on his chessboard." He paused and added, "So, I can understand why Sakayanagi wants to run."

He stood up and walked to the window. The rain was still falling, fine and dense, falling on the window glass, blurring the scenery outside. Ibuki stood by, feeling that Ryuen had changed a lot. Because, in the past, he would have said, "I'm going to beat Hikigaya down." But now, he would say, "I can't even imagine how I would lose."

But, Ryuen's proposal was also correct. Class A was indeed troublesome, and the original Class A (now Class C) was also hard to handle, so perhaps the points-gathering strategy Ryuen proposed—if they had 100 or 200 million, they could send 5-10 students to Class A—might be the more correct path.

But, although she thought of it, Ibuki had to say it. "Ryuen," Ibuki started, "are you afraid of Hikigaya?"

Ryuen didn't look back. "It's not fear. It's knowing the gap." He paused. "It's like playing a game; the opponent is a max-level BOSS, and you just left the newbie village. You know you can't beat him, but you still have to fight. Because you have no other choice."

Ibuki was silent. She didn't understand those metaphors, but she could feel the weight in Ryuen's words. He was still moving forward, but he no longer said he would win.

And in Class 1-D, the atmosphere was much more complex than in Class B.

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"Sakayanagi-san is actually the chairman's daughter?" Yamauchi Haruki's voice came from the back row, with a tone of "I knew it." "So she got in through her father's back door?"

"If someone like you can enroll, what's the problem with Sakayanagi-san enrolling?" Hasabe Haruka's voice came quickly from the side, with clear sarcasm.

Yamauchi's face turned bright red. "You... who are you talking about!"

"Talking about you." Hasabe didn't even raise an eyelid. "Your academic ability is bad, your physical ability is bad, and even in group exams, you have to rely on others to fish you out. If you can get into this school, Sakayanagi-san is at least a hundred times better than you."

Yamauchi opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but seeing Hasabe's expression, he swallowed his words. Hasabe was beautiful, and he was too embarrassed to argue with her. And she wasn't wrong—he really didn't have anything to show off. But it was so frustrating. He was clearly quite good at bragging.

Ike Kanji sat on the side, scratching his head. "Speaking of which, who spread this news? How did someone suddenly know Sakayanagi-san is the chairman's daughter?"

The classroom was quiet for a moment. Then, Shinohara Satsuki's voice came from the corner, sounding uncertain. "Was it Ayanokouji who spread it?"

"Ayanokouji?" Sudo Ken's brow furrowed. "What kind of trick is he playing now?"

"Yesterday I saw him and Sakayanagi-san at the cafeteria entrance, they seemed to be talking." Shinohara said, and then this was only the second day, and the rumors spread.

"..."

This analysis was a bit exaggerated; what did it mean to talk, and then rumors appeared? But this was Ayanokouji. So, the classroom was quiet again.

Hirata Yosuke stood by the podium, his brow furrowed tightly. He heard these words, was silent for a few seconds, and then spoke: "If it was Ayanokouji who did it, I will apologize to Sakayanagi-san."

Kushida Kikyo sat in her seat and was a bit surprised to hear this. Hirata was actually not protecting Ayanokouji anymore. But thinking carefully, it was normal—during the group exam, Ayanokouji wanted to significantly reduce the numbers in Class D, which had touched Hirata's bottom line. Hirata could tolerate him doing small tricks and could tolerate him betraying the class, but he could not tolerate him wanting the whole class to drop out. That was Hirata's final bottom line.

Karuizawa Kei leaned against the window; as someone who had been targeted by Ayanokouji, she was still very proactive, proactively attacking: "Speaking of which, since Ayanokouji can fabricate rumors about Sakayanagi-san, can he also fabricate rumors about us?"

The classroom went quiet instantly. Everyone looked at her.

But very quickly.

"Indeed," Yukimura Teruhiko pushed his glasses. "Very possible. This might just be an appetizer. If he really wants to attack us, he can spread rumors about anyone—who is dating whom, who stole whose things, who said bad things about whom behind their backs. By then, Class D will become even more divided and suspicious of each other. And if it really comes to the whole class deciding to make him drop out, everyone won't be so united in making him drop out."

With Yukimura saying this, the air in the classroom seemed to solidify. Because everyone, even Yamauchi, realized a terrifying fact—Ayanokouji would not only sabotage in exams, he would also play games with the human heart. He could make them suspicious of each other, guard against each other, and distance themselves from each other. At that point, even if someone wanted him to drop out, they would break relationships with others, and choose to attack others instead of Ayanokouji; then Ayanokouji would be safe.

And this kind of thing... was unacceptable.

Kushida Kikyo put down her phone and showed a sweet but harmless expression. "Hey, I think, could Ayanokouji-san be trying to alienate us all? To make us suspicious of each other, so we don't have the energy to manage his affairs?"

"Possible!" Ike Kanji was the first to support. "That guy is capable of anything!"

"Exactly, exactly," Yamauchi chimed in. "He even dared to make us drop out, what else wouldn't he dare to do?"

"So, should we do something?" Karuizawa asked.

Hirata was silent for a few seconds. "We can't stop him from spreading rumors. But we can control ourselves not to believe them."

"How to control?" Ike Kanji asked.

"Three rules," Hirata said. "From now on, everyone in Class D will ignore all rumors. Don't pay attention, don't discuss, don't spread. No matter how powerful the rumors are, if no one listens, they have no meaning."

The classroom was quiet for a while, and then someone nodded.

"I think that's okay."

"I agree."

"Then it's settled."

"Whoever spreads rumors is a traitor."

Voices rang out one after another. No one objected, no one hesitated. Because they all knew this was the only thing they could do. After all, everyone had some disgraceful things; once spread, it would explode, and if it were a rumor, it would be even more excessive; they didn't want to be slandered.

So, since it concerned their own interests now, this class became united.

Outside the door, at the corner of the corridor, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka stood there. He had just returned from the bathroom, his hands in his pockets, and was about to push the door into the classroom.

Then he heard the conversation inside: "Three rules," "ignore rumors," "don't pay attention, don't discuss, don't spread."

His footsteps stopped for a moment. He was somewhat speechless. Because some plans hadn't even started, yet they... had ended just like that.

This class was like scattered sand. He didn't expect them to become so united. Therefore, he really could only choose to transfer classes. And the opportunity, he estimated, would arrive very soon.

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