Saiki Kusuo has always been quite quiet in class, and he looks so frail and easily bullied. I wonder if he's gone through something in the past or if he has something on his mind.
"Sorry, I just don't feel like talking."
We got a lot of help from Saiki when we bought the exam questions earlier! But it seems like the class has overlooked his contributions. Maybe that's why he hasn't been able to fit in with the rest of the class.
"No, this is actually better for me."
We need to find a way to get Saiki to join in with everyone else!
"It's fine the way it is now."
Saiki Kusuo thought this to himself but didn't say it out loud.
"Hmm, even though Horikita and Suzune refused, most of the class will probably participate. If I refuse too, I'll be seen as troublemakers like them, and that'll cause problems. Being too disliked will only draw more attention, which isn't good. I'll have to agree for now."
Thinking this, Saiki Kusuo nodded and agreed to Hirata Yōsuke's request.
"Great, thanks so much, Saiki! Let's all do our best!"
Hirata Yōsuke nodded seriously, then turned to Ayanokōji Kiyotaka.
"Ayanokōji..."
He repeated almost the same line, perhaps thinking it would seem more sincere if he asked each person individually.
I was going to refuse, but since someone like Saiki stayed, I'll stay too for now.
Ayanokōji Kiyotaka nodded.
After a day of classes, most students stayed in the classroom, while Horikita Suzune, Sudō Ken, and a few others who didn't want to join the meeting left immediately.
"They just love acting different to stand out."
"What's their deal anyway?"
"Horikita Suzune acts so high and mighty just because she's pretty and smart. And Sudō Ken? He's just an idiot."
After they left, the remaining students whispered about them.
Kushida Kikyō, in particular, was fuming inside. Her hostility toward Horikita Suzune hadn't lessened at all.
Hirata Yōsuke mentioned forming study groups, but Saiki Kusuo didn't care much. He just wanted the meeting to end so he could do something else.
Just then, the classroom intercom buzzed:
"Ayanokōji of Class 1-C, your homeroom teacher, Chabashira, wants to see you. Please come to the staff office."
"Oh."
Ayanokōji Kiyotaka muttered, tidied up, and left the classroom.
"Chabashira wants Ayanokōji? He seems like a special student, just like me—transferred into this class. She probably knows something about him from the chairman. Maybe this is related. But it's not my concern. If she didn't call me, maybe she's no longer suspicious of me."
Saiki Kusuo thought this, but his eyebrows twitched slightly.
"No, with that teacher's personality, it can't be that simple. Something feels off about her calling Ayanokōji."
After calculating how long it would take Ayanokōji to reach the office, Saiki Kusuo raised his hand, told Hirata he was going to the bathroom, and slipped into a stall.
At the same time, he activated his Clairvoyance!
By crossing his eyes, he could observe distant objects, different from his X-ray vision. Clairvoyance could lock onto targets he'd seen before and adjust direction and angle, making it easier to control. He could even hear their conversations.
The downside? Prolonged use made his eyes dry—and he looked a bit silly.
That's why he went to the bathroom stall—no one would notice his movements.
Saiki Kusuo's vision shifted, and soon he saw the staff office.
Chabashira Sae had already met Ayanokōji Kiyotaka but hadn't said much. She just told him to wait quietly in the tea room next to the office.
Since it was too far, Saiki Kusuo could only observe with Clairvoyance and couldn't read their thoughts with telepathy.
Just then, a familiar figure appeared at the office door:
Horikita Suzune.
"Come in, Horikita. What's this about?"
Chabashira Sae smiled, as if she'd expected her.
"I'll be direct: Why was I placed in Class D?"
"Straight to the point, I see."
"You said classes were assigned based on ability. I'm confident I solved almost all the entrance exam questions, and I don't recall any major mistakes in the interview. I can't imagine being placed in Class D, even now that I'm in Class C."
Horikita Suzune's expression was serious. Since learning the criteria for class assignments that morning, she'd been upset.
"As you said, you ranked third in the entrance exam, tied with others, and scored close to first and second place. Your interview was excellent, and the school gave you high marks."
"Thank you, but why was I placed in Class D?"
Horikita Suzune was even more confused after hearing Chabashira Sae's words.
"Why are you upset about being placed in Class D?"
"No one's happy about not being evaluated properly."
"Properly evaluated? You think highly of yourself."
Chabashira Sae smiled.
"Besides, it's too early to judge. Some people see not being evaluated properly as a good thing."
Even Saiki Kusuo, watching all this with Clairvoyance, felt his nose itch.