Sakayanagi Arisu’s words were like a piece of ice dropped into a lake, the instantaneous chill causing the temperature in the entire classroom to drop by several degrees.
The applause that had supported Katsuragi’s proposal immediately ceased, and the enthusiastic smiles on the students’ faces froze.
The vast majority of students had never experienced such a direct and sharp public rebuttal, especially on the first day of school—an occasion that should have been filled with harmony and anticipation.
Katsuragi Kohei’s sturdy frame remained standing straight, like a statue.
The expression on his face didn’t change drastically, but his eyes grew deeper.
He could feel the entire class’s attention focused on the space between him and Sakayanagi.
Kaedehara leaned back against his chair, his crossed arms showing no sign of relaxing.
A slight curve played on the corner of his mouth, like a spectator who had discovered a drama, watching everything with great interest.
“Student, I cannot entirely agree with your viewpoint.
We are indeed A-Class, but Mashima-sensei has not fully explained the school’s rules.
“The school provides everything, and points can buy everything”—behind these seemingly generous conditions, there must be hidden competition.
If we don’t even know each other’s names and basic information, how can we talk about unity and facing any potential future trials?”
Katsuragi finally spoke, his voice steady and powerful, unshaken by the other party’s mockery.
His words were forceful and logically clear, quickly winning him the moral high ground.
He did not directly attack Sakayanagi’s rudeness but elevated the issue to the level of the “class’s survival.”
These words caused many students who had been wavering to once again show expressions of agreement.
“Hehe…”
Sakayanagi let out a soft laugh, gently covering her mouth with her slender, pale hand that wasn’t holding her cane.
“Katsuragi-kun, your speech is truly full of leadership potential.
It sounds like the motivational speech a protagonist gives before the final battle in a hot-blooded shonen manga.
It’s touching, but also very naive.”
She lowered her hand, her smile still sweet, yet the words she spoke grew colder.
“The so-called unity, if it is only built on the fragile foundation of mediocrities huddling together for warmth, is nothing more than a rabble’s carnival.
Not only will it fail to withstand trials, but it will instantly collapse in the face of true crisis due to internal suspicion and incompetence.”
She paused, her gaze sweeping across the room.
That look seemed to carry a penetrating force, causing every student who met her eyes to instinctively look away.
“What I pursue is not this false collectivism.
Rather, it is absolute functionalism, where true ‘powerhouses’ take the lead, and everyone else performs their duties and obeys orders.
In this system, the personal specialties and interests of the mediocre are meaningless; they only need to play their role—which is to say, as pawns—and that is enough.
Therefore, I repeat: self-introductions are a complete waste of time.”
“Pawns…”
“She said we are pawns?”
Low murmurs of discussion, tinged with anger, arose in the class.
Katsuragi’s brow finally furrowed tightly.
Sakayanagi’s words undoubtedly categorized him and the vast majority of the class as “mediocre.”
“Sakayanagi-san, your elitist ideology is far too extreme.”
Katsuragi’s voice carried a hint of severity.
“Everyone has their value; not only top talents deserve to have their names known.
Your approach will only divide the class and create unnecessary internal conflict.”
“I actually think she’s right, though!
This…
Katsuragi-kun.”
Kaedehara Tōru stood up, looking at Katsuragi Kohei on the platform, pretending to check his school badge as if he didn’t know his name.
“This isn’t conflict; it’s ‘selection.’ Recognizing one’s place from the start is beneficial for everyone.
Recognizing whether you are the dominator or the dominated.
This saves a lot of unnecessary trouble.”
At these words, the atmosphere in the classroom grew even more tense.
Katsuragi’s gaze sharpened.
He looked directly at Kaedehara.
“Kaedehara-san, are you supporting Sakayanagi-san’s extreme viewpoint?
The school has gathered us together hoping we will progress collectively, not divide us into hierarchies and foster mutual suspicion.”
Kaedehara remained standing.
Instead of immediately answering Katsuragi’s question, he shifted his gaze from Katsuragi and leisurely turned toward the girl not far away.
“Sakayanagi-san, right?”
His voice wasn’t loud, but it clearly reached everyone’s ears.
“Your choice of words is precise: ‘pawn.’ An excellent chess player doesn’t need to know the life history or hobbies of every single piece; they need to know their respective functions.
If a ‘pawn’ attempts to move like a ‘rook,’ it is no longer a qualified pawn but a useless piece that needs to be cleared from the board.”
The air in the classroom seemed to solidify.
If Sakayanagi’s comments were divisive, then Kaedehara’s words were like rubbing salt into the freshly opened wound.
In Sakayanagi’s beautiful violet eyes, a genuine interest surfaced for the first time.
She looked at Kaedehara as if she had discovered a unique and novel toy.
“Kaedehara-san, is it?” Her voice seemed to hold a hint of admiration.
“Your metaphor is quite interesting.
It seems the class isn’t entirely composed of mediocre students who need constant guidance to recognize reality.”
Katsuragi watched Kaedehara and Sakayanagi play off each other, and the anger in his heart became impossible to suppress.
He took a deep breath, preparing to refute them again, when suddenly…
“Alright, I was just stating my view.
What you do next has nothing to do with me.
Goodbye…”
Before Katsuragi could even refute him, Kaedehara, like a gust of wind, turned without hesitation and walked towards the door.
As Kaedehara walked past Sakayanagi Arisu’s seat, his footsteps paused slightly.
This subtle movement caught Sakayanagi Arisu’s attention, and her eyes met Kaedehara Tōru’s.
“You are quite interesting.
I like that…”
Having said that, Kaedehara did not linger, quickly disappearing through the classroom door.
Kaedehara’s departure caused a brief moment of stagnation in the classroom atmosphere.
The original debate was temporarily interrupted by his exit.
Students exchanged glances, unsure how to proceed.
Katsuragi Kohei’s expression was grim; he was clearly very dissatisfied with Kaedehara Tōru’s sudden departure.
However, he managed to control his emotions, taking a deep breath and temporarily suppressing his anger.
He turned his gaze back to Sakayanagi Arisu, seemingly intending to continue the argument.
“My apologies.
I am feeling a bit unwell and will take my leave now.”
Sakayanagi Arisu’s lips curved upwards.
Leaning on her cane, she stood up, giving Katsuragi Kohei no chance to speak.
She knew that convincing Katsuragi Kohei through mere words was nearly impossible.
It would be better to wait for an opportunity later to make him understand the true gap through action…