Unveiling the Mastermind - Classroom of the Elite Reaction

Interlude 2 - End of Day One

Ayanokoji

It had been around an hour since all the students of the second year had left the gymnasium. I had managed to slip away while the crowd made their way out and was now on my way back to the dorms. As the timetable suggested, there were no lessons in the afternoon today and we were free to do whatever we wished. On the way back, my mind was drifting between various questions I had. Who was behind the videos and how they managed to read and relay my thoughts weren't of any importance right now. One way or another I had a feeling I'd be finding out sooner or later anyway.

What I was focused on was how to handle this problem. In all likelihood, every one of my actions would be shown to the students and my life would definitely not be the same. Had a peaceful life ever been on the cards for me to begin with? Starting from the second year, I had been gradually accepting the parting gift given to me by Horikita Manabu. Let the student known as Ayanokoji Kiyotaka be carved into the minds of the students and they will not forget your existence. I had initially been planning on doing this by leaving an imprint on a certain few, identifying the capable and letting them know their weaknesses. Eventually, they would grow as an individual and watching their new future would be worth the effort I had expended. But I doubted I could still do that if the whole student body knew of my ability or, even worse, what led me to have it. I did not doubt that my existence would be remembered by them all but would that really be the best course of action? The past, that man, the cause of the blank slate in my chest...would they really benefit from knowing it all?

Karuizawa

I was walking out of the gymnasium with some of my friends, all of them discussing what we had just seen in a lively manner. In complete contrast, I was silent. I couldn't wrap my head around it all. Eventually, they would get confused as to why I was so quiet so I knew I couldn't keep this up.

"I wonder why it's from Ayanokoji-kun's perspective," Inogashira-san pondered aloud.

"Yeah, that's weird! If we are supposed to be seeing stuff that happened, like, behind the scenes then I wouldn't we see it from the class leaders POV?" Mori-san asked.

"Maybe Ayanokoji-kun's actually our class leader and Horikita-san is just a front," Matsushita-san suggested with a grin.

Kiyotaka had warned me about Matsushita-san. She too was holding back in public but I didn't have a clue as to the reason. It looked like it was true, though, because here she was trying to ferret out information with a sly joke.

"Haha, Chiaki, I just don't think that's possible, we would have realised by now," Mori-san responded.

"He did get that maths score though..." Sato-san joined in, "And he competed with the old student council president in that relay in our first year,"

Urgh, Sato-san's affection for Kiyotaka wasn't helping this situation. If this conversation kept going in this direction then rumours could spread. I needed to help Kiyotaka as much as I could.

"Just because he's kinda good at some stuff doesn't make him a leader though," I opposed, "To be a leader, you need the presence and a good personality, you know, and he definitely has neither."

Every time I had to speak badly about Kiyotaka in public was painful, but I had to endure for him. Sato-san looked at me with an expression that crossed between confusion and anger. She knew that I was keeping my relationship a secret but she didn't know why I was going this far to separate myself from Kiyotaka.

"Yeah that's true, that's why Hirata-kun and Horikita-san make such good leaders!" Mori-san agreed.

"I was only joking, I really doubt that's the case," Matsushita-san conceded.