Classroom of the Elite Final Year

Volume 1: E.1

There were currently four people inside Ichinose Hasumi's room.

"Before I left, I had left my watch in your room with the sound recorder on."

They were listening to what Ayanokoji had said when Hasumi had gone to his room this morning.

After the recording finished, Hasumi deleted the recording just as Ayanokoji had said. She would have deleted it even if he hadn't said anything.

She had been careful not to let him know. She had acted normal and didn't think he would find out that she had been recording their conversation. But he had known from the start.

It made her painfully aware that she had underestimated his ability. He was far more amazing than what he let on. 

"Damn it!" Miyazaki angrily hit the wall with his fist.

"There is no point in doing that, Miyazaki-kun."

"I know that but...That bastard!" He was angry that his plan, that he had thought a guaranteed success had been rendered completely useless without even them noticing. It was almost as if he had goaded them in doing all this. That was making Miyazaki furious.

"I told you before, didn't I?" Yokoyama Kana calmly said from beside Miyazaki.

"Told you before? What?" That piqued Hasumi's interest.

Yokoyama then explained how Ayanokoji had managed to dodge her kick when he was in her blindspot. She had aimed a kick at one of his friends from behind him. Ayanokoji hadn't even turned around. But he had sensed the kick and managed to respond in time, calmly.

"I see." 

"I told you, didn't I? That it was just a fluke." Miyazaki gave her the same response that he had given her back then. 

"No, it was not. It isn't possible to dodge that kick with just a fluke. I am certain of that." Yokoyama was well-versed in fights and she knew it wasn't just a fluke.

"I think I believe Yokoyama-san. If he can outwit us then it wouldn't be strange for him to be good athletically as well. I have seen his muscles before. They definitely looked toned." Hasumi said in support of Yokoyama's statement. 

Few moments passed in silence. The one to break the silence was Miyazaki, "So? What are we going to do next?"

"We will need to think about that." They needed to think about their next course of action and think carefully as well. 

Just then, the bell to her room rang.

"I will check it." Hasumi went to open the door. Who might be it? Was it Ayanokoji-senpai? Thinking that she opened the door but the person on the other side was completely unexpected and someone she didn't know.

"Who might you be? What do you want?"

"First, won't you let me in?" Her voice rang like a drop of water in a calm ocean. Hasumi couldn't say anything and turned sideways to let her in.

She walked and then surveyed the four people inside the room.

Miyazaki raised his eyebrows in suspicion and asked the girl, "Who are you? What are you here for?"

"You all are here to discuss how to expel Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, right?" She stated matter-of-factly. Everyone present gulped audibly.

They have been working carefully so as not to let anyone know. They might have been spotted once or twice but just that one piece of information wasn't enough to deduce all this.

"How did you..." Miyazaki muttered. The girl looked at Miyazaki and replied, "Don't sweat the details. I know what you are up to and how a single recording ruined your whole plan."

Miyazaki's breath was caught in his throat.

Hasumi was looking at her dubiously. How did she know this much? The only ones who knew about this were the ones involved in the plan that was the four present here except the girl and Ayanokoji himself. She hadn't told anyone about this. Neither did she think her three companions had told anyone else?

Did Ayanokoji-senpai tell her? That was the only logical conclusion that she could reach.

The girl suddenly looked at her and said, "Don't worry. Kiyotaka hasn't told me anything about it."

"Kiyotaka? If I remember correctly, that's Ayanokoji-senpai's first name, isn't it?" The girl nodded as if it was obvious. 

She had brazenly used his first name. Does that mean she is acquainted enough to use his first name? Everyone in the room was growing skeptical by the moment but the girl was unfazed.

"I haven't introduced myself properly, have I?" She said as if she had just remembered. Then she delivered her introduction...

"I am Takahashi Kiyoko from first-year Class D and I am here to be a part of your team to expel Ayanokoji Kiyotaka."