"I see. Then let's go together when you get the camera."
Kure Ragna agreed to the girl's request casually, and the two made their way back to the dormitory.
By this time, most students had already returned. Those who were still out were likely occupied with club activities, leaving no one to take notice of this unusual pairing.
As they reached the dormitory, they stepped into the elevator. When it arrived on the fourth floor, Kure Ragna stepped out, turning back to wave at Sakura Airi, who remained inside.
"Well, see you later."
"Uh-huh..."
She responded shyly, waving back.
If this were a scene from a romance movie, the camera would linger for at least thirty seconds, capturing the subtle emotions between them.
But reality wasn't as considerate. The smart elevator, designed to detect obstacles and prevent accidental closures, had no function to sense the lingering warmth in the air and extend its closing time.
Within seconds, a soft ding sounded. The doors, having detected no further movement, slid shut.
Sakura Airi continued waving until the doors fully closed, leaving her standing alone in the elevator. Then, as if unable to contain her emotions, she clenched her fists and did a small, excited hop.
The elevator trembled slightly from the motion.
---
On the other side, Kure Ragna, now in the fourth-floor hallway, stopped abruptly.
A familiar figure was waiting for him.
"It seems you're quite popular," Chabashira Sae remarked, leaning casually against the wall.
A cigarette rested between her fingers, the tip still glowing faintly. As she spoke, the smoke, which had been rising in a thin stream, wavered slightly.
"Got any plans for the evening? If you're free, let's talk."
"Special treatment from my homeroom teacher?" Kure Ragna raised an eyebrow.
"Not exactly."
She took a slow drag from her cigarette, exhaling before continuing.
"Let's just say a certain desperate student, eager to reach Class A, asked me to speak with you."
"Oh?"
Kure Ragna's expression shifted to mild curiosity.
---
Scene Change: A Familiar Café
The usual background music had changed. Yesterday, it had been soothing instrumental pieces. Today, elegant piano notes filled the air, perhaps an attempt to prevent customers from getting bored of hearing the same playlist.
In this refined atmosphere, Chabashira Sae took a sip of her coffee.
"So? How's it going with them?"
Kure Ragna, focused on the buttered bread in front of him, paused mid-bite and glanced up, his expression unreadable.
"To be honest, Chabashira-sensei, the way you say that makes you sound like a school principal's older sister, who was begged to help her nephew get into a prestigious school. You barely know him, but out of some sense of obligation, you check in on him from time to time."
"...Don't spout nonsense. I don't have a nephew your age."
Chabashira rolled her eyes at the oddly fitting analogy. More importantly, did she really seem that old?
"You know what I mean," Kure Ragna continued. "You think I've left Yukinoshita's group to start my own faction. But I never said anything about forming a team."
He smirked.
"And you're not seriously suggesting that after what happened with Sudou, Koenji Rokusuke would join me, right?"
"Wouldn't he?" Chabashira asked without hesitation.
"Absolutely not."
Kure Ragna answered immediately.
"Koenji and I may be similar in some ways, but as the heir to the Koenji conglomerate, why would he ever let himself be 'led' by someone else?"
"Then what exactly is your relationship with him?" she pressed.
"If I had to put a label on it… a temporary alliance," he said casually. "Let's say I find something interesting and decide to act on it. If Koenji also finds it amusing, he might tag along. If I think it's fine, I let him. That's all there is to it."
"So does 'something interesting' include reaching Class A?" she asked, taking another sip of coffee.
"Not really."
Kure Ragna spoke as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"You remember the deal Koenji tried to make with me back at the student council meeting. I turned him down, but that doesn't mean others will."
Chabashira frowned slightly.
"He can just buy the necessary points from graduating students, stack up 20 million, and transfer to Class A at the last minute," Kure Ragna continued.
"...True."
Chabashira sighed.
It sounded absurd, but with Koenji's wealth, it was a completely viable strategy.
A privileged method, available only to the super-rich.
Besides, Koenji had no real incentive to aim for Class A. Whether he graduated at the top or the bottom, he was destined to become the next leader of the Koenji Zaibatsu.
Meanwhile, the so-called 'top students' who fought tooth and nail for Class A would ultimately just end up working under people like him.
That was the reality of social hierarchy—something even the school's almighty system couldn't change.
"But I expected that," Chabashira said. "Which is why I prepared a backup plan."
She reached into her suit jacket—her chest slightly pressing against the fabric—and pulled out a folded piece of paper.
Kure Ragna took it, unfolded it, and scanned the list of names, each accompanied by brief evaluations.
"Matsushita Chiaki, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, Horikita Suzune…" He read a few names aloud before glancing up. "So what's this about?"
"It means I prefer you over Yukinoshita."
Chabashira smiled, as if she held all the cards.
"These are promising students who performed well in exams or showed great potential. More importantly, they haven't been recruited by Yukinoshita Haruno yet. If you really intend to build your own group, you should start with this list."
Kure Ragna shook his head, setting the paper down.
"You still don't get it, do you, sensei?"
He leaned back.
"I told you already—Koenji and I are alike. We only do things when they interest us. Take the Sudou incident, for example. If Ryuen hadn't directly targeted me, I wouldn't have even bothered retaliating."
He looked her straight in the eyes.
"And another thing—you're mistaken. I didn't leave Yukinoshita's group because of some ideological conflict. I left because I was bored."
"Class A doesn't interest me either."
He stood up without hesitation, pushing the list back toward her.
"So if you need someone to fight for your cause… find someone else."
With that, he turned and walked away.
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