Youjitsu 2nd Year V5 SS– Karuizawa Kei –Reading the Mood
It was noon and another special exam had begun.
I was, as usual, focused on acting out my character while scanning my surroundings.
I was especially looking at Horikita-san, everything she said and did.
It was something Kiyotaka had instructed me to do, my one important task.
“This is what I think. Our most ideal opponent for the last exam of the year is class B. In other words, Ichinose’s class. There are 3 reasons why that is. First, unlike Sakayanagi-san or Ryuuen-kun, there is a good chance our fight with them will be fair, a battle between our potentials. Even if the special exam itself turns out to be an irregular one, there is no need for us to worry about getting outwitted by some hidden schemes. Next, they are currently Class B. We would get additional bonus class points due to that and mean we can take the lead and take the initiative. And lastly, their strong stance is just for pretense. Our class C and Ryuuen’s class D are already right behind them. They had a lead over us for some time, but their trajectory has been going downhill. Which is why I think they are the ideal opponent for us, don’t you think?”
Had I been the same as before, I’d never have listened to her seriously, I guess.
I’d never been confident, and it was also a pain to listen to her babbling on and on.
But I was different now.
Kiyotaka believed in me and he expected something from me.
Just by knowing this, my ability to concentrate flew through the roofs.
“If anyone is opposed to this, let me hear what you think. If not, if you all don’t mind selecting class B, vote for them so we can get this done quickly.”
Horikita-san finished her speech swiftly without any dead time.
I knew this was the time to interject, but I had to be patient.
At a time like this, it was standard procedure for Hirata-kun to back her up.
“I agree to this as well, Horikita-san. The bonus points we could get from defeating Sakayanagi’s class A are huge, but it’s hard to think of a more difficult opponent. While we shouldn’t underestimate the bonds and the solid fighting style from Ichinose’s class, her class is in my opinion, the best opponent we can hope for.”
He supported her proposal as if he could read the future one step in advance.
I Immediately, and with a clear purpose in mind, raised my voice without any hesitation.
“Me too, me too. We don’t get any bonus points from Ryuuen-kun’s class so he’s not that tasty, and we can’t just laugh it off if we lost to Sakayanagi-san, I guess.”
I said sounding like an idiot while trying to instill the idea that any class other than class B wouldn’t be tempting enough.
This was something even I could understand, so everyone must have realised what I’d tried to convey.
I saw several students nodding and was relieved.
I got shivers as I felt the whole class getting united.
Horikita-san must have understood this as well as it looked like she had nothing more to say.
There were still a lot of time, so we were free to talk for the rest of it.
Truth is, while I’d have wanted to talk to Kiyotaka, I can’t be a bother to him now.
Reading the mood is a rather important skill. Yes, an important skill.
I stood up from my seat and went to talk to the girls sitting nearby to waste time.
Yes, I only need to repeat this as necessary.
I want to finish this special exam quickly so I can return to the dorms.
And then I can go on a date with Kiyotaka.
