Sakayanagi Arisu’s words were like a block of ice dropped into a tranquil lake.
The instantaneous chill caused the temperature in the entire classroom to plummet.
The applause that had previously supported Katsuragi’s proposal died out in an instant, and the enthusiastic, welcoming smiles on the students’ faces froze in place.
The vast majority of these freshmen had never experienced such a direct, razor-sharp public rebuttal.
This was supposed to be the first day of school, an occasion meant to be filled with harmony, youthful anticipation, and polite introductions.
Katsuragi Kohei’s sturdy frame remained standing straight behind his desk, immovable as a stone statue.
The expression on his face did not undergo any drastic changes, but his gaze grew noticeably deeper and heavier.
He could feel the collective attention of Class A entirely focused on the tense space between him and Sakayanagi.
Sitting nearby, Kaedehara Tetsu leaned back against his chair.
His crossed arms showed no sign of relaxing.
A slight, almost imperceptible curve played on the corner of his mouth.
He looked exactly like a spectator who had just discovered a fascinating theatrical drama, watching the unfolding conflict with immense interest.
“I cannot entirely agree with your viewpoint,” Katsuragi finally spoke.
His voice was steady and powerful, completely unshaken by the girl’s mockery.
“We are indeed Class A, but Mashima-sensei has not fully explained the school’s underlying rules.
‘The school provides everything, and points can buy everything’—behind these seemingly generous conditions, there must be a hidden layer of competition.
If we do not even know each other’s names and basic information, how can we possibly talk about unity?
How can we face any potential trials the school might throw at us in the future?”
His words were forceful and logically sound, quickly winning him the moral high ground in the room.
He did not directly attack Sakayanagi’s rudeness, but instead elevated the issue to the level of the class’s overall survival.
These words caused many of the students who had been wavering to once again nod, showing expressions of agreement.
“Fufu…”
Sakayanagi Arisu let out a soft, airy laugh.
She gently covered her mouth with her slender, pale hand—the one not currently resting on her cane.
“Katsuragi-kun, your speech is truly brimming with leadership potential.
It sounds exactly like the motivational speech a protagonist might give right before the final battle in a hot-blooded manga.
It is touching, certainly, but also terribly naive.”
She lowered her hand.
Her smile remained perfectly sweet, yet the words slipping past her lips grew significantly colder.
“This so-called unity of yours…
if it is built on nothing more than the fragile foundation of mediocrities huddling together for warmth, it is nothing more than a rabble’s carnival.
Not only will it fail to withstand any real trials, but it will instantaneously collapse in the face of a true crisis, torn apart by internal suspicion and sheer incompetence.”
She paused, allowing her gaze to sweep across the room.
That single look carried a piercing, oppressive weight, causing nearly every student who met her eyes to instinctively look away.
“What I pursue is not this false collectivism.
Rather, it is absolute functionalism.
A system where true powerhouses take the lead, and everyone else simply performs their duties and obeys orders.
In this system, the personal specialties and trivial interests of the mediocre are entirely meaningless.
They only need to play their assigned role—which is to say, they act as pawns—and that is more than enough.
Therefore, I will repeat myself: self-introductions are a complete waste of time.”
“Pawns…”
“Did she just say we are pawns?”
Low murmurs of discussion, heavily tinged with rising anger, began to ripple through the class.
Katsuragi Kohei’s brow finally furrowed tightly.
Sakayanagi’s words had undoubtedly categorized him, along with the vast majority of the class, as completely mediocre.
“Sakayanagi-san, your elitist ideology is far too extreme,” Katsuragi said, his voice carrying a distinct hint of severity.
“Everyone has their own value.
It is not only the top talents who deserve to have their names known.
Your approach will only serve to divide the class and create unnecessary internal conflict from day one.”
“I actually think she is entirely right, though.
This…
Katsuragi-kun.”
Kaedehara Tetsu stood up.
He looked at Katsuragi Kohei standing near the front, casually pretending to check the sturdy boy’s school badge as if he hadn’t even bothered to memorize his name.
“This isn’t conflict.
It is simply selection.
Recognizing one’s proper place from the very start is highly beneficial for everyone involved.
You must recognize whether you are the dominator, or the dominated.
Doing so saves a tremendous amount of unnecessary trouble down the line.”
At these words, the atmosphere in the classroom grew suffocatingly tense.
Katsuragi Kohei’s gaze sharpened into a glare.
He looked directly at the dark-haired boy.
“Kaedehara-san, are you actually supporting Sakayanagi-san’s extreme viewpoint?
The school has gathered us together with the expectation that we will progress collectively, not divide ourselves into strict hierarchies and develop mutual suspicion.”
Kaedehara Tetsu remained standing casually.
Instead of immediately answering Katsuragi’s question, he shifted his gaze away from the imposing boy and leisurely turned toward the silver-haired girl sitting not too far away.
“Sakayanagi-san, right?” His voice was not particularly loud, but the quiet authority in his tone ensured it clearly reached everyone’s ears.
“Your choice of words is quite precise.
‘Pawn.’ An excellent chess player does not need to know the life history, the dreams, or the hobbies of every single pawn on the board.
They only need to know their respective functions.
If a pawn attempts to move like a rook, it is no longer a qualified pawn.
It becomes a useless, defective piece that needs to be cleared from the board immediately.”
The air in the classroom seemed to completely solidify.
If Sakayanagi’s comments were divisive, then Kaedehara Tetsu’s words were akin to rubbing coarse salt directly into a freshly opened wound.
In Sakayanagi Arisu’s beautiful, deep violet eyes, a genuine spark of deep interest surfaced for the very first time.
She looked at Kaedehara Tetsu as if she had just discovered a uniquely fascinating and novel toy.
“Kaedehara-kun, is it?” Her voice held a distinct hint of admiration, a stark contrast to her previous mockery.
“Your metaphor is quite interesting.
It seems this class is not entirely composed of mediocre students who require constant, tiresome guidance just to recognize reality.”
Katsuragi Kohei watched Kaedehara Tetsu and Sakayanagi effortlessly play off one another, and the righteous anger building in his chest became nearly impossible to suppress.
He took a deep, steadying breath, preparing to fiercely refute their twisted logic once more, when suddenly…
“Alright, I was merely stating my view on the matter.
What you all decide to do next has absolutely nothing to do with me.
Goodbye.”
Before Katsuragi could even form a single syllable of his rebuttal, Kaedehara Tetsu turned without a shred of hesitation.
Like a passing gust of wind, he began walking straight toward the door.
As Kaedehara Tetsu walked past Sakayanagi Arisu’s seat, his footsteps paused for a fraction of a second.
This incredibly subtle movement immediately caught Sakayanagi’s attention, and her violet eyes met his dark, unreadable gaze.
“You are quite interesting.
I like that…”
Having delivered those quiet words, Kaedehara Tetsu did not linger for a reaction.
He resumed his pace, quickly disappearing through the classroom door and leaving the heavy atmosphere behind him.
Kaedehara Tetsu’s abrupt departure caused a brief, jarring moment of stagnation in the classroom.
The original, heated debate was temporarily derailed by his sudden exit.
The surrounding students exchanged uncertain glances, completely unsure of how to proceed with the self-introductions now.
Katsuragi Kohei’s expression was exceedingly grim.
He was clearly dissatisfied with Kaedehara Tetsu’s sudden, irresponsible departure after stoking the flames.
However, he managed to rein in his emotions, taking another deep breath and temporarily burying his anger.
He turned his stern gaze back to Sakayanagi Arisu, fully intending to resume their ideological clash.
“My apologies, but I am suddenly feeling a bit unwell.
I will take my leave now.”
Sakayanagi Arisu’s lips curved upwards into a knowing, elegant smile.
Leaning heavily on her cane, she gracefully stood up from her desk, giving Katsuragi Kohei absolutely no chance to speak.
She knew perfectly well that attempting to convince a stubborn rock like Katsuragi through mere words was a nearly impossible task.
It would be far more entertaining, and far more effective, to simply wait for the right opportunity later to make him understand the true, impossible gap between them through absolute action.