First Year Class B.
As soon as Katsuragi Ren walked to the classroom door, the students inside turned their eyes to him in unison. There was desire, importance, and even... admiration?
"There is only as much intelligence about the school rules as yesterday. You have to find the rest yourselves."
Katsuragi Ren spoke to everyone grumpily, breaking their idea of getting something for nothing.
He also indirectly reminded everyone that there were more hidden rules in this school than just the ones on the surface yesterday.
He needed a pack of wolves that could group together to hunt actively, not piglets kept in a pen, squealing and waiting for the farmer to feed them.
"Katsuragi-sama, you are the recognized leader of Class B now," Ryuji Kanzaki spoke up.
He opened with moral kidnapping, attempting to bind Katsuragi Ren, who had kidnapped the whole class on the first day.
He was convinced of Katsuragi Ren's ability. He could accept the ransom and everything else, as long as he could lead Class B to Class A. He didn't mind being the other party's dog.
"Heh." Even Rokusuke Koenji wouldn't be morally kidnapped, and Katsuragi Ren was naturally the same.
He glanced contemptuously at Ryuji Kanzaki, who was full of petty thoughts, and took the initiative to announce: "The Class B leader is set as Ichinose-san, and the vice-leader will be Kanzaki-kun. Any problems?"
Katsuragi Ren asked the question in a tone that allowed no refusal. After speaking, he scanned the crowd to see if there were any little sheep in the class who hadn't been tamed by him yet.
The silence of the crowd made a certain person in the class anxious. Ryuji Kanzaki started frantically signaling Honami Ichinose with his eyes.
He wanted Honami Ichinose to step forward and say a few good words to appoint Katsuragi Ren as the leader.
As for why it was Honami Ichinose, the students in the class weren't blind. From the intimate way Honami Ichinose addressed Katsuragi Ren when they first met on the first day, they could tell their relationship wasn't shallow.
The classmates didn't have the guts to persuade the Heir, Katsuragi Ren. What if the other party got unhappy and took back the promise he gave them? Who would they cry to then?
Honami Ichinose noticed Ryuji Kanzaki's eye signals but pretended not to understand his meaning.
After communicating with Katsuragi Ren last night, she knew that Katsuragi Ren had no intention of being the class leader.
How could she use her relationship with him to constrain him?
"Then, I will help everyone as the leader of Class B from now on. Please take care of me."
Honami Ichinose walked to the front of the podium and bowed deeply to the audience, expressing her willingness to be the leader of Class B. At the same time, she confirmed Ryuji Kanzaki's position.
Before Katsuragi Ren came, Honami Ichinose had thought about fighting for this position. Now that she had Katsuragi Ren's support, she had even less reason to refuse.
Ryuji Kanzaki, swept up by the greater good, could only brace himself and accept the title of vice-leader that Katsuragi Ren forcibly placed on his head.
It turned him from the behind-the-scenes strategist he imagined himself to be into a representative figure shining for the class in the open.
It really confirmed that saying.
Those who bind others with righteousness will eventually be bound by righteousness.
"But... wouldn't it be better if Katsuragi-sama led us?"
"Right, right? I think so too."
The positions of leader and vice-leader had been confirmed, and the students below began to whisper.
In their minds, it would be best for Katsuragi Ren to be the leader and Honami Ichinose to be the vice-leader.
Honami Ichinose was gentle, generous, and understanding, but they also understood that the girl lacked drive. If there was a better Katsuragi Ren willing to step forward, they definitely wanted to choose the better one.
These voices were neither loud nor soft. They didn't hide it from Katsuragi Ren, Honami Ichinose, and Ryuji Kanzaki. Of course, everyone didn't intend to hide it from them either.
They didn't dare to say anything about Katsuragi Ren's opinion openly, but privately, they wanted to express a little protest. Not for anything else, just to vent their frustration.
Ryuji Kanzaki didn't react much to the classmates' whispers. If conditions permitted, he even wanted to join the discussion of these "kindred spirits."
With her right hand in her pocket tightly gripping the paper she copied last night, Honami Ichinose seemed to understand Katsuragi Ren's purpose for this arrangement. So...
Is this a trial?
As long as there was no open opposition, it didn't matter what they said in private. Katsuragi Ren was happy to see everyone plotting in low voices below.
It's good to have discussions. Not being puppets who only execute orders can reduce a lot of burden for Little Honami. A "Group Leader" also needs opinions to improve.
If he had any needs or orders in the dark, he just needed to convey them directly to Little Honami.
This could also increase Little Honami's prestige in the class and contribute to the girl's own growth.
Katsuragi Ren returned to his seat, propped his chin with his right hand, and looked out the window to admire the scenery outside. His left hand typed a message quickly under the desk without looking.
Hearing the special notification sound on her phone, Honami Ichinose quietly took out her phone and checked the message from Katsuragi Ren.
Katsuragi Ren: Little Honami, don't forget "Intellect."
Intellect? With Katsuragi Ren's hint, Honami Ichinose quickly grasped the key point Katsuragi Ren was reminding her of: "Ability also includes testing the grades between each class."
Without knowing the grades of all the classmates, she decided to simply start a study group directly. She did it as soon as she thought of it.
Honami Ichinose clapped her hands, signaling the students to focus on her.
"Everyone, since the class evaluation is based on the performance of the students in each class, I think exam results should also be inseparable from the evaluation."
"In that case, let's form a study group starting today. I ask everyone to spare two hours on rest days every week to participate in the study group, helping and learning from each other. How about it?"
As soon as she finished this proposal, Honami Ichinose found that the eyes of the students below lit up. They had no resistance to her suggestion.
As for why their eyes lit up.
Of course, it was because Ichinose was the second student, after Katsuragi, to quickly discover another hidden rule of the school.
And she was a student different from Katsuragi Ren, who stood independent of the class; she was willing to lead them as a class leader.
"Agreed." Katsuragi Ren acted as a suitable supporter, raising his right hand to express support for the girl's proposal.
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
Students who already had this intention and were willing to support Honami Ichinose naturally followed suit when they saw Katsuragi Ren, the class boss, expressing approval.
Thus, the First Year Class B Study Group was established on the second day of school.
Seeing that Honami Ichinose's prestige in the class was greater than before, Katsuragi Ren quietly slipped away through the back door of the classroom.
Next, it was time to implement his plan.
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