The True Elites

Chapter 1-8: Queen

Ayanokōji's POV

"Make sure that you also do some work on your own, otherwise you'll still probably fail."

Walking back to the dorms was our small study group minus Kushida, who had split off from us earlier. I hadn't paid much attention to anyone else, but my session with Sudō had gone surprisingly well – his foundation knowledge was, to put it bluntly, terrible. Even a middle schooler would probably know more than him. Despite this, he still made a respectable effort to try and learn. It seems like, if anything, Sudō was desperate to stay in this school, so he would study even if he didn't like it.

"But you guys are going to make sure we don't fail, even if we don't, right?" Yamauchi said, walking with his hands in his pockets.

"Don't get the wrong idea," Lelouch said over his shoulder to the trailing Yamauchi. "We're tutoring you three because we are obliged to, not because we want to. We're merely fulfilling our end of the negotiations, nothing more. As such, none of us will go the extra mile for you if you decide to neglect your own studies."

Lelouch gave them an extremely blunt take on the situation. It was true that none us in Class D actually care whether some Class E students get expelled or not, though. We are merely doing what we signed on a contract to do – there was no reason for us to get personally invested and try to save them if they're beyond saving.

In other words, the relationship between Class D and E was purely a business one, it was not like forming an alliance. In the future, I had no doubt that my classmates would have no qualms about letting Class E drop into a hole of despair which they can never climb out of if they're still unable to fend for themselves.

After all, if they're so desperate for help and to be saved, there's only so much they can give us before we raise the price to something they could never afford. As it stands, a favour from Class E could be a very powerful weapon if used right, but what will Class E have to offer if they sink into ruin? A favour can only be as strong as the party giving the favour, and a class in such a perilous situation would never be able to offer anything material like points either.

"W-what? Would you guys really let us get expelled?!" Ike cried.

"Yes." Lelouch, Light and I all replied in unison.

"That's why I told you to make sure you do work on your own, too. If you don't put in any effort towards passing yourselves, then we won't be putting in that extra effort for you." I warned them.

The Idiot Trio each adopted an unexpectedly serious face. It seems like even these three won't mess around when expulsion is on the line. We walked a bit more in silence, and soon we came upon the boys' dorms.

"Hey, you guys go on ahead. I'm going to go and get a drink." I said.

"I'll come with you," Sudō said, turning around.

"No, there's no need. It's been a fairly long day, so I'd rather just take a quick detour, grab a drink, and return quietly. You can just go back to your room; I don't mind walking a bit by myself."

"Is that really ok?"

"Yeah."

With that, I split off from the group and took a turn, heading around the corner of the dorm building where there was a vending machine.

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I arrived at my destination vending machine a couple of minutes later. There, I was about to input the code for a water bottle when I noticed something peculiar out of the corner of my eye.