Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's POV

It is now day four of my time here as a student in Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School.

There would be no school today because it was a Saturday, a weekend to be exact. Many groups of friends had invited me to hang out with them in Keyaki Mall or Palate Cafe, most notably Kushida and Karuizawa's. Obviously, I had to politely decline their invitations since I intended to use today to talk to several of my classmates who I believe have the potential to become major figures in Class D about some critical issues.

Eichiiro, Kushida, Hirata, and, of course, Horikita were among the people I had summoned to my hostel.

Although I haven't seen much of Hirata and Kushida's talents, they do wield a lot of influence in our class, which will undoubtedly aid me in maintaining the unity and solidarity of the class.

Eichiiro and Horikita were self-evident. Eichiiro is a capable right-hand man for me and is on good terms with the boys of our class.

Horikita was a capable student as well, which is why I wanted her to become a prominent figure in Class D. She just needs to change her stubborn attitude and open up more to others, and she'll finally be accepted by the majority of our peers.

It was currently 1:45 p.m. 15 minutes prior to the appointed meeting time. I was waiting for the oven to complete baking the cookie dough I'd made two or three hours earlier.

I was bored after my appointment with Horikita the day before, so I just went online and looked for new culinary recipes to try.

One recipe, in particular, attracted my interest. It was a well-edited video including the recipe and ingredients to making their self-proclaimed perfect chocolate chip cookies. According to what I observed in the YouTube video, they were experimenting with different types of ingredients to see how they could combine their greatest qualities to create the ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe.

After memorizing all of the components for the recipe, I went to the grocery store in the evening and purchased everything I needed to bake the cookies.

One cup of bread flour, 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour, two tablespoons of kosher salt, one tablespoon of baking soda, one cup of butter, one cup of dark brown sugar, half a cup of white sugar, two tablespoons of vanilla, one tablespoon of espresso powder, egg and egg yolk, five ounces of dark chocolate chunks from a dark chocolate bar I bought from the store, and, of course, chocolate chips were the ingredients I used to make the cookie dough.

After I finished creating the cookie dough, I scooped some out and placed it on a baking sheet, then refrigerated it overnight to get the greatest flavors out of it, as instructed in the video. I was tempted to bake it straight immediately, but I restraint myself and decided that the flavor I would be getting from the cookie dough that had been chilled overnight would be worth the wait.

Once it had chilled overnight, I removed the pan from the fridge and placed it in the oven, adjusting the temperature to 180 degrees Celsius and allowing the cookie dough to bake for twelve to fourteen minutes. I've already had the tray in the oven for about five minutes, so the cookies should be done in around seven to nine minutes.

Oh? Some of my guests appear to have arrived earlier than I had anticipated. I removed my oven mitts and walked over to the door. When I opened the door, I was met with Hirata and Eichiiro's presence both waiting in front of my door.

"Yo," Eichiiro said, lifting his palm in greeting. As a response, I lifted my palm too.

"Good afternoon Ayanokouji-Kun. It's nice to see you again." Hirata greeted me with a friendly smile as well.

"You guys showed up earlier than I expected."

"I'm literally your next-door neighbor bruh," Eichiiro replied in a joking tone.

Bra? Isn't that what women wear to keep their breasts supported? Maybe that's an online acronym I'm unfamiliar with. I'm not sure what bra would even stand for, to be honest.

"Anyhow, did the two of you come here together or...

"Nah, I just happened to run into Hirata while walking around campus. He said he was already on his way to your dorm even though it was still this early, so I just tagged along because I had nothing else to do." Eichiiro answered.

"I see... You both have permission to enter. You may sit wherever you want, but please remove your shoes first before entering my dorm." They were informed.

"Please excuse the intrusion," they said in unison, bowing.

They then removed their shoes and placed them on the floor of my dorm room entrance. They took their respective with Eichiiro sitting on my bed while Hirata sat on the floor.

"Ayanokouji-Kun, do you consider yourself to be a minimalist?" Hirata enquired. "I've noticed that your room is somewhat vacant. Of course, that's not a terrible thing; I'm just a bit interested in why."

Why is it that people keep asking me that question?

"No, not really. I simply lack the drive or effort to shop for dorm decorations."

As Eichiiro sniffs his nose, he exclaims, "Something smells pretty good."

"That's most likely the batch of chocolate chip cookies I made for everyone. It should be ready to eat in about... five to seven minutes," said the timer on my phone.

"Ayanokouji-Kun, do you know how to bake?"

"I do, but I'm still a novice. Baking is something I've just recently begun to take an interest in. This is actually my first time making something like this, so I hope you both will like the cookies I made. Any kind of feedback would be appreciated."

"I see... Well then, I'm excited to try the cookies you've cooked for us, Ayanokouji-Kun. I'm looking forward to it."

"Oh, you definitely should Hirata. I've tried some of Kiyo's cooking, and so far they've all been nothing more than chefs kiss." Eichiiro praised my culinary abilities while patting me on the back.

We talked for a while, well, more like I had to listen to Eichiiro gushing about me to Hirata He just sat there and nodded awkwardly until I heard a knock at my door. I suppose everyone simply decided to arrive early today. I strolled straight to my door, leaving Hirata and Eichiiro to their own devices. Horikita and Kushida's figures greeted me as I opened the door. I'm presuming they met up by chance or came to my door at the same time.

"Konnichiwa Ayanokouji-Kun!" Kushida bowed in greeting.

"Good afternoon, Ayanokouji-Kun." Horikita turned to face me. "I'm guessing we're not late for the meeting, are we?"

"No, you actually arrived a few minutes ahead of schedule. But don't worry; Eichiiro and Hirata had the same notion as you and arrived earlier than expected as well. Anyway, feel free to come in and sit wherever you like." I greeted them warmly and flung open the door wide for them to enter.

"Ojama Shimasu," As a gesture of gratitude, they modestly bowed in greeting. They then went into my room and greeted Eichiiro and Hirata before taking their seats.

Ah, That should be the sound the oven makes when the chocolate chip cookies are done baking. I hurriedly put on my oven mitten, opened the oven, and grabbed the burning hot metal tray that held all of the cooked chocolate chip cookies, and placed them on the kitchen table to let them rest and cool down a bit.

"Did you make those Ayanokouji-Kun?" Kushida inquired, her eyes wide with intrigue.

"Yes, I did. I figured I could bake us some snacks as compensation for calling all of you here unexpectedly on a holiday when you should all be having fun."

"Please don't feel too downhearted Ayanokouji-Kun," Hirata commented. "I'm sure you wouldn't have gathered us here unless it was for a good reason." Hirata used a kind expression to try to console me.

"Ayanokouji-Kun, you shouldn't have to feel obligated to offer us anything. As Hirata-Kun remarked, I'm sure you called us all here because you have some important things you want to discuss with us relating to the class, Is that correct, Ayanokouji-Kun?"

"You're right, Kushida." If this was acting, Kushida deserved a lot of credit. Even someone as perceptive as me couldn't see right through her deception easily.

Horikita's demeanor indicated that she was having some difficulty. Given what we had just discussed the day before, she was undoubtedly uncomfortable being around Kushida. But she realizes she can't act weirdly or Kushida might start suspecting her.

I've already emailed her the specifics of how she'll be involved in my investigation into Kushida. Though it wouldn't be an understatement to say she was dissatisfied with the plan I devised. But, her participation is required if I want to keep Kushida tamed as possible.

This amount of time should be sufficient for the cookies to cool down. I took the cookies from the tray and placed them in a clear bowl.

"Here you go," I say as I set the cookie bowl on the table for them to consume. "You are free to take as many as you like, however, please don't be selfish and give everyone a chance to try one before grabbing many. It's fine if you don't feel like eating or if the food isn't to your liking. Any constructive critique that will help me improve my baking skills is much welcomed." I told them.

"I won't be eating any of the cookies you've made because I'm not one who likes to eat junk food but I appreciate the gesture, Ayanokouji-Kun." Horikita conveyed her gratitude in a small way.

"Horikita, are you sure? Kiyo's food is really good ya know?." Eichiiro made an attempt to persuade her. "I guess you truly do live up to your ice devil moniker." He unintentionally said something he shouldn't have. He soon realized what he had just blurted out and attempted to cover his mouth, but the damage had already been done.

"....What did you just call me?" says the narrator. Horikita inquired firmly, her gaze fixed on Eichiiro as though delving into his soul.

Yabe.

"N-nothing,"

"Really? I'm afraid I must differ. I believe I heard you refer to me as an ice devil or something of that sort." Horikita pressed him even more.

"Y-you must have been hearing things, Horikita-Ch- I MEAN SAN" In an attempt to defend himself, Eichiiro blundered.

"Hey, Matsuo-Kun..." Horikita addressed him coldly.

"Y-yes?"

"Would you rather repent in pain or in despair?" Horikita drew a compass from her bag and offered Eichiiro a choice. What is she up to?

"I'm not sure what you mean by that, but if I had to pick... neither of them?" Horikita's remarks made him noticeably tighten up.

"I see... So, Matsuo-Kun, are you prepared to take responsibility?"

"Wait wha-" Horikita tried to stab him in the shoulder with her compass before he could finish his statement, but Eichiiro grabbed her wrist and stopped her before she could.

"Horikita-San!" Hirata and Kushida yelled in worry.

"C-CHOTTO MATE! What the hell do you think you're doing!" Eichiiro exclaimed, still clutching her wrist.

"Stop reacting irrationally. I'm simply just giving you the punishment you deserve."

"Horikita-San, isn't that going a little too far?" Kushdia attempted to calm things down.

"Kushida-San, I'm afraid I'll have to disagree with you there. Matsuo-Kun clearly needs to be taught some proper etiquette." Horikita responded sharply.

"HELP ME OUT HERE, OI KIYO!" Eichiiro had requested my assistance.

"Sorry, but this time you're on your own, bud." I turned away and let him die on his own. I truly apologize, Eichiiro, but even I wouldn't want to get involved with Horikita's antics.

"YOU TRAITOR!" He shouted, baffled by my betrayal.

They persisted in their shenanigans until Kushida and Hirata intervened and brought order to the situation. Later, I'll have to express my thanks to them. I didn't want my room to become a bloodbath because of the two of them.

"You guys should really eat the cookies right now. You should know that they won't stay warm indefinitely." They'd been warned.

They nodded in response to my warning and each picked a chocolate chip cookie from the bowl to try. I could see that several of them had contented and delighted expressions on their faces after they put the cookie in their mouths. That's a relief. In instances like this, the internet can be very helpful.

"This is without a doubt, the most delicious cookies I've ever tasted in my lifetime." Eichiiro was the first to comment.

"This is amazing Ayanokouji-Kun! Are you sure this is your first time baking?" Hirata asked.

"Believe it or not it actually is. I am grateful for your praises." I voiced my appreciation.

"You've got these chocolate pockets with all the cracks and crinkles, the middle is ooey-gooey while the outside is still crunchy at the same time. And the chocolate, oh my God, it melts in your tongue like butter. It simply has all of the flavors and textures that a chocolate chip cookie should have. This gets a 10 out of ten from me. Ayanokouji-Kun, you've done a fantastic job!" Kushida lavished admiration on me.

"Thank you, Kushida. Anyways, I don't want to waste any more of your time, so let's get down to business." I announced to them. They all looked in my direction and paid attention to what I was about to say.

"First and foremost, I want all of you to lead the class with me."

"What do you mean by that Ayanokouji-Kun?" Hirata inquired, his face befuddled.

"Well, you see, Hirata, despite the fact that I am Class D's formal leader, there may be occasions when Class D gets into difficulty and I am powerless to intervene, and that's where all of you come in." I elaborated.

"I see..." I'm guessing Hirata already has a good idea of what I'm talking about.

"Are there any more questions?" Kushida raised her hand. "Yes, Kushida?"

"I'm grateful that you think I'm capable of leading, and I'd be delighted to help, but... why did you pick the four of us? I'm pretty sure we haven't done anything outstanding to earn the title of significant figures in class D." Kushida raised a valid point.

"Excellent question Kushida. I genuinely summoned you all here not only to assess your full capabilities as a student but also to assess your social abilities." I explained to them.

"Obviously, the majority of you have a large social circle and are well-liked by our peers. This indicates that the majority of you have significant clout in the classroom. Because we were deemed the school's faulty class, there may be instances when dispute and disagreement arise inside our class; but, in order to prevent the class from devolving into chaos, I'll be relying on the majority of you to maintain order."

"I guess that's reasonable." Eichiiro agreed with me.

"Now on to our second order of business. Regarding our class, I'd like to devise exam countermeasures. As Class D students, I'm confident that several students in our class will probably struggle academically. That is something I believe we should address."

"The simplest and most effective options would be to form a study group. I'm not sure why we would need a substitute for it "Eichiiro responded with a positive response.

"Yes. The best option is to join a study group. After we've seen the abilities of our most capable classmates, we'll be able to choose our tutors. Of course, I will make every effort to assist anyone who requires my assistance." Horikita expressed her thoughts on the subject.

"That's something I'm not convinced of. What if they're doing so poorly in school that their academic abilities are comparable to those of a seventh to eighth-grader." I pondered.

"That is ludicrous. It's possible that expulsion would be a better option for such students. They'd just end up being a liability to the class." With a glare, Horikita said.

"Horikita-San... Aren't you going a little too far with this?" With a bitter smile, Hirata expressed his discontent. It was clear that Horikita and Hirata had polar opposite ideologies on how the class should be led.

"But what if those students had areas in which they struggle, as well as subjects in which they may easily excel? For example, what if a student's history grades were terrible, but their English grades were on a level with a tutor's? Academics aside, What about someone like Sudo? He claims that he has never received outstanding academic grades, but he is athletically superior to the rest of our classmates. Would you be so naive as to expel him just on the basis of that? And if something as simple as not paying attention in class deducts points from our grade, how much do you think it would cost if one of our classmates were to be expelled?"

"That... I guess you make a good point Ayanokouji-Kun." Horikita admitted defeat.

"Horikita, you need to work on your faulty way of thinking. You can't see everyone who isn't as capable as you as a burden. They're not your puppets; they're your classmates."

"I see... Thank you, Ayanokouji-Kun, for advising me. I wouldn't mind being chastised by someone as smart as you." Horikita expressed her gratitude solemnly. I just nodded as a response.

"Now before we get into the third order of our business, are there any of you here who gets along well with the pupils of Class B?" I questioned.

"I've only recently become acquainted with Ichinose and a few of her classmates, so I wouldn't say I'm really familiar with them," Kushida replied.

"I'm not really buddies with any of them yet, but I owe that Shibata guy in Class B 10.000 private points because I lost a running race against him." Why would you risk so many points on such a trivial race?

"How about you, Hirata?"

"I suppose you could call a few Class B students who attend the same club as me, my friends. why are you asking this Ayanokouji-Kun?" Hirata inquired.

"That will be relevant to the following topic. I'd like some of you to organize a hangout with Class B because some of you are friends with them. The goal of this hang out would be to strengthen the link between Class B and Class D in order to persuade them to join us in forming an alliance." I clarified.

"Now are there any questions?" Eichiiro made a gesture with his hand, indicating that he wanted to say something.

"Yes, Eichiiro?"

"I get how this future partnership will help both of our classes, but why Class B specifically? How about the other classes?" Eichiiro posed a question.

"Let's begin with Class C. I'm guessing you are all undoubtedly aware that I don't get along well with Class C because of what happened in the cafeteria between me and Ryuen."

"Wait, just because you're feuding with Ryuen doesn't mean we shouldn't consider allying with Class C as a possibility." Eichiiro shot back.