Classroom of the Elite - Revenge [Cote X OC]

Vol 2. Chapter 10: Zodiac Exam [2/4] - The Day Before The Chaos

[Ayanokoji Pov]

[11th August, 8.11]

Just when Ryūen left the scene, I saw Horikita releasing a shout out. "That damn..."

"No, I won't let the likes of him provoke me," she said, composing herself again.

"Ayanokoji-kun, what else have you hidden behind my back? You didn't explain to me anything about this leaf message nor about someone realizing your strategy. I want answers. Now!" the girl in front of me said, unable to deduce the correlation between everything.

She did not even take herself the time to analyze the leaf and the potential anagram behind it, despite Ryūen's attempts to make her aware of the hidden message behind the phrase.

It seems like I have overestimated her abilities, huh?

Perhaps she isn't the one destined to beat me, but someone else. Either way, I won't make my judgment based on this single scenario.

I'll observe her for now further and do my judgment when the time comes.

"Are you that useless?" I asked, my stoic tone encroaching in her ears.

She looked at me in surprise. "Useless? Me?!"

"Who else would I be talking to? It's just you and me here."

Horikita, even during the Island Exam, you weren't pressured that much. Despite being chosen as the leader, everyone relied on Kurushima when problems occurred.

And once he was gone on the fifth day, the class began to battle themselves all the time. You were not able to stabilize the situation. And worst of all, you deemed it as useless trying to stabilize the situation.

You had given up already.

But you weren't pressured at all about the advancement to Class A. Why?

Because you did just what everyone else did. Relying on Kurushima's abilities.

You thought with his presence, even if that means losing this exam, you would still, regardless, be able to advance up to Class A.

No matter how harsh Ryūen's words appear to be, they are one-hundred percent the truth. Right now, you are absolutely useless.

You have not benefited the class even once.

She looked at me angrily. But before she could speak and demand any further answers from me, I spoke up.

"If you are not able to figure this phrase and the hidden message behind it on your own, go to Kurushima and ask for his opinion regarding this phrase. It would be the least useful thing you could do, by running an errand between me and him. Please do tell me, however, about his opinion afterward. After all, he might catch up to things that I ignored."

With that said, I left the scene. I slightly looked back with my eyes at Horikita, who had her right arm stretched out.

"Ayanokoji-kun, don't go. Please don't leave me just like Niisan," she muttered in such a quiet tone that an ordinary human would not be able to hear her at all.

Well, I just heard her out of luck, though. It's not like I am far beyond ordinary or anything like that. I'm just your average high school student.

--

[Horikita Pov]

"Ayanokoji-kun, don't go. Please don't leave me just like Niisan," I muttered.

Ayanokoji-kun...

Just like Niisan, you seem out of my reach to achieve. You, Niisan, and even Kurushima-kun, I can see all three of you walking ahead of me.

I want to walk in the direction next to the three of you, but no matter how hard I try to catch up, I always remain in the same position.