Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's POV

"Good morning, Yamauchi!"

"Good morning, Ike!" Yamauchi greeted Ike with a big grin as he entered the class.

The admission ceremony was one week ago today. It was very unusual for Ike and Yamauchi to arrive so early; they would normally arrive a few minutes before homeroom begins.

"Whew, man! I was so excited for today that I didn't get much sleep last night!" Ike exclaimed with zeal.

"Isn't this school just the best?!" Yamauchi began by agreeing with Ike's assertion.

Ike was constantly giving glances to the girls of our class with an unsettling grin while conversing with our male classmates. Though, he wasn't alone. Almost all of the boys were currently standing near him, laughing amongst themselves and occasionally staring at the girls, especially Kushida.

Wait, never mind. When I followed their line of sight, I noticed that their eyes were fixed on their chests, not on them. They weren't gazing at them, but rather, ogling them. Some of the girls who noticed this were visibly disturbed but didn't raise their voices against it.

Instead, The girls were gradually pulling themselves away from them, as if attempting to escape contracting a contagious disease.

Ah, I finally realized what was going on. Today was going to be our first day of swimming lessons. To put it another way, Horikita, Kushida, Hasebe, and the other girls will be exposing a lot of skin. It was understandable that the boys were feeling very ecstatic about it.

"Please don't tell me your planning to join them." My seatmate suddenly spoke up, looking at me as if she was disappointed.

"What made you think I'd barge into their conversation?"

Was she under the impression that I was someone who would engage in perverted and lustful discussions? Unfortunately, the White Room had taken away everything that might have influenced my sexual cravings for women.

"It's just the way you were staring at them... It appeared as if you were interested in participating in their perverse chatter." Horikita added her two cents.

"Do you really think I'm the kind of person who would openly discuss something so aberrant in public?"

If I were to join in their conversation, my reputation among the girls in our class will most likely suffer. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be despised by my peers for the remainder of my high school career.

"No... But then again, who knows. Not everyone is who they appear to be on the surface. For example, you may present yourself as a mature and responsible student, but underneath that, you might also be a closet pervert just like them."

"Rest assured, I barely have any interest in a girl's body parts. Even if I were interested, I would keep those personal thoughts to myself." I gave a genuine response.

"So your not denying to having those kinds of thoughts." Horikita raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"But I'm also not confirming it either, am I? We're at a stalemate at this moment, so you can't really get anything out of my lips."

"I guess your right." Horikita put the conversation to an end and returned her focus to the book she had been previously reading.

I hope Horikita will learn to get along better with our classmates one day. She assured me that she would make an effort to be more friendly to others, but I have yet to see her follow-through. Of course, she could have made advances behind my back that I was unaware of.

Maybe she'd already made a network of people with whom she could communicate. I envisioned her hanging out with a group of girls, laughing and smiling as they talked about inconsequential matters.

...

Actually you know what? It didn't seem so horrible to imagine Horikita smiling in a photo. She'd surely give Kushida's fame a run for her money if she had Kushida's outside personality. That image will certainly be etched into my supercomputer brain and probably stay there until the day I leave this world.

"Ayanokouji-Kun, are you perhaps thinking of something snide about me?" Horikita glared at me as if peering into my soul.

Seriously, how does she keep reading my thoughts as if it was a piece of cake? Is that a female-only superpower that I'm not aware of? Am I actually starting to show emotion on my face that gives away what I'm thinking? Yeah, I doubt that.

Sigh.

Women's intuition can be quite frightening, to say the least.

"It's simply just all in your head, Horikita." I denied her claim. Her eyes filled with suspicion swept over me for a few seconds before returning her sight to her book.

Phew, that was close. If she had continued in her assumptions, she may have tried stabbing me with her compass, and I would have met the same fate as Eichiiro did a few days ago. I guess people don't refer to her as the Ice Queen for no reason.

I had nothing better to do while waiting for homeroom to begin, so I opted to listen in on Ike and his buddies' conversation.

"Will the strategy be put into action, Professor?" Ike asked of Sotomura, who had been tinkering with his laptop.

"Why of course, Ike-Dono. If things go according to plan, everything should proceed smoothly. We'll get our hands on those records as soon as possible!" Sotomura exclaimed.

"Perfect! Oh, my goodness I can't wait!" Yamauchi was overjoyed.

"Hey, what exactly do you mean when you say records?" Eichiiro inquired softly, interrupting their discourse.

"Huh? Matsuo? Hmm... Why should we tell you? You could end up tattling on us." Ike questioned, his face full of skepticism.

"Yeah! Aren't you pretty close with some of the girls?" Yamauchi added.

"I won't deny that I am, but as long as you don't do anything ridiculous, I will always prioritize my brothers first," Eichiiro said playfully, attempting to persuade them. "After all, I'm a firm believer of the term bros before hoes."

I was still puzzled as to why some lads liked to refer to women as "hoes." Was that meant to be a snub or a compliment of some sort? A hoe, according to the textbook definition, is a long-handled gardening tool with a thin metal blade that is mostly used for weeding. Trying to fit in with others can be quite perplexing and frustrating at times.

"Now, now. Doesn't it make sense to include Matsuo-Dono in our plans? I think even an Ikeman like him has teenage desires that he wants to fulfill isn't that right Matsuo-Dono?"

"I... Suppose?" Eichiiro smiled bitterly and befuddledly. "However, I'm still not sure what you're planning to accomplish." Finally, Eichiiro addressed the elephant in the room.

"Professor will pretend to be ill. That way, He'll be able to observe the girls' boobs from the side and take measurements on their sizes." Yamauchi spoke in hushed tones.

"If we're lucky, he might even get us pictures," Ike continued with an alarming grin on his face.

"Oi, oi, your not serious are you?" Sudou began to feel reluctant about being apart of what they were scheming.

"Please tell me your joking..." Eichiiro voiced his dissatisfaction.

"Why would we be joking about something like that?" Ike seemed very oblivious to what the consequences could be.

It'll be a complete carnage if the girls find out about this. Every girl in class 1-D would most likely detest ke and Yamauchi, and they will be shunned and disgraced as outsiders until graduation. Worse yet, they're already renowned as the twin idiots of Class-D.

"Alright, count me out. I don't wanna risk ending up in jail just to see explicit pictures of the girls." Eichiiro responded while putting his arms up in the air.

Sudou withdrew from their plan as well, most likely out of fear of being loathed by the rest of the class or fear of facing jail time.

"C'mon dude! It'll only be a crime if we aren't caught." Ike pleaded. "Plus, I'm sure no one here will try to snitch on us."

Was he so desperate that he's willing to ruin his entire life just to glimpse indecent photographs of the girls of our class? Well, I guess there's a reason why he was alloted to Class D.

"While I won't accompany you on your vile mission, I won't get in the way either. Just don't say I didn't warn you when you're put on trial for sexual harassment." Eichiiro issued a cautionary statement. "Ike and Yamauchi, in particular. You know how the girls have already labeled you as perverts, right?"

"W-wait, seriously?!" Yamauchi panicked.

"Shit! Abort the mission! I repeat, abort the mission!" Ike screamed with agitation. Eichiiro then left them to their antics and approached my desk.

"Honestly, those two never learn do they?" Eichiiro sighed in great dismay.

"What do you think would've happened to them if they still continued on with their plan even after you've already alerted them?"

"Hmm... I probably would've reported them to the teachers or told the girls on what they had intended to do." Eichiiro bluntly answered. "Either that or I would've dragged them out of the class and beat them to a pulp to teach them a lesson." Eichiiro joked.

"Please don't try to do anything of the sort. I'd appreciate it if you were able to remain in this school for the next three years." I advised him.

"Heh, of course I won't. If I do get expelled because of something like that, I wouldn't hear the end of it from our dad." Eichiiro then sat back on his chair, leaving my desk.

Ike and Yamauchi urged me and Eichiiro to rejoin them after a few minutes had elapsed. They were reportedly placing bets on the size of the girls' breast sizes. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious, but Sudou, Eichiiro, and I were well aware of the dangers of becoming involved, so we did nothing but listen.

Sakura and Hasebe were two of the most popular predictions. I'm curious to see how they'd react if they found out about this...

The door slid open, showing Chabashira-Sensei, who had just come for homeroom on time. We all returned to our seats and focused on what Chabashira-Sensei was going to teach us today.

"Good morning Class 1-D. I have a sudden announcement I would like to deliver to all of you first before we begin today's lesson." Chabashira-Sensei was the first to speak.

I twisted my head, trying to figure out what this unexpected statement could be about. Maybe a surprise pop quiz? Or would it be the start of our first special exam? Or perhaps some grim news regarding something tragic? I suppose I should listen to her first before considering the possibilities.

"Unfortunately, your swimming lessons will have to be postponed until next week due to some unforeseen circumstances," Chabashira-Sensei informed us.

I looked around the classroom to see how everyone reacted to the news. Some of the females, particularly Sakura and Hasebe, exhale a sigh of relief, undoubtedly relieved that they won't have to cope with the boys' inevitable stares when they expose a lot of skin. Some of the boys were discontented and slumped in their seats.

Ike on the other hand...

"NOOOOOOOO!!!!" Ike shouted at the top of his lungs as if he was in pure agony.

"Oi, Ike. Shut the fuck up, it's literally 8.00 a.m. in the morning!" Sudou scolded Ike loudly.

"B-but Sudou... The swimsuits... The boobs!"

Oh crap, did he just say that out loud? Hearing Ike's remark, some of the girls clicked their tongues and looked at him with complete distaste.

"Don't say something like that out loud ya fucking dipshit!" Sudou continued to admonish Ike harshly.

"If you two would please let me finish," Chabashira-Sensei glared at them. "As compensation, there will be a PE class replacing your swimming classes for today. Mashima-Sensei will be the one to supervise all of you in the gymnasium."

Mashima-Sensei huh...

He's our English instructor, as well as the homeroom teacher for Class A's outstanding students. He appeared to be a severe man who took his job very seriously. Given that class D can be unduly unruly at times, it makes it fitting that he would be the one to look after us.

"Now are there any questions regarding this?" No one raised their hands. "Good, now we'll begin today's lecture."

-------------------

After lunch, it was finally time for Physical Education. Many of the boys were pumped, knowing that this was their chance to show off their athleticism in front of the females of our class. And, more than likely, to see the girls in their gym uniforms and shorts. I trailed behind my classmates we entered the locker rooms to change.

Sudou began changing his clothes right away. His well-sculpted figure from years of playing basketball was on display. His body appears to be powerful, especially when compared to the other students in the class.

"Sudou, don't you ever get embarrassed by revealing your body in public so easily?" Ike unintentionally spoke up at the sight.

"Nah, I try to change as quickly as possible. If you try to hide yourself, you'll become the center of attention."

You can say that again. Someone who tries to change quietly in a locker room will almost certainly be mocked.

I quickly took off my clothes and also searched for my gym uniform and shorts but before I could put them on, I felt the gaze of every boy staring at me.

"HOLY SHIT AYANOKOUJI YOUR FUCKING RIPPED!" Miyamoto was the first to comment.

"I knew you would be a bit athletic because of the picture on the school forum, but I didn't know you were this buff!" Sudou said while slapping my back. It hurt.

"Ayanokouji-Kun, do you happen to be a bodybuilder. No matter how you look at it, even if you do sports, your physique is not that of a normal high schooler." Hirata remarked.

"I guess I exercise on a daily and I do some weight lifting," I answered truthfully. Though, my routine was not as simple as that of a normal high school athlete.

My response seemed to satisfy them all. We all finished getting dressed and exited the locker room at the same time. I spotted an unexpected duo speaking with each other while walking.

It was Eichiiro and Koenji.

I slowed my pace a little to eavesdrop a bit on what they were saying.

"I don't think anyone noticed you, but you're quite athletic, aren't you Koenji? For a high schooler, you have an unreasonably athletic body like Kiyo." Eichiiro complimented him.

"Why of course, Matsuo boy! It is only natural that I, the great Koenji Rokusuke, have a beautiful and divine body that is the apex of the human physique." Koenji boldly boasted.

"Apex of human physique? Aren't you overestimating yourself a bit Koenji?" Eichiiro slightly chuckled. He looked like he genuinely enjoyed chatting with Koenji.

"Overestimating? Oh please. A mere mortal like you wouldn't understand how truly perfect of a human being I am. You should feel lucky Matsuo boy. Usually, I would reprimand people who dare to criticize me, but I've taken a bit of a liking to you. At the very least, you're more of a lowly human than a mere ant."

"...I guess that's better than being an ant." Koenji then picked up the tempo and left Eichiiro to his own device. I took advantage of the opportunity to talk with Eichiiro.

"You two seem to be getting along well."

"Eh, more or less."

"Why do you hang around him though? Because of his egotistic and contemptuous tone, most of our classmates would prefer to avoid him." I enquired further. "

"Despite the fact that he's a complete narcissist, I find people like him to be the most interesting and fun to be around. He can, however, be a jerk at times."

Eichiiro seemed to desire to develop some strange friendship with Koenji for personal interest. If he could befriend Koenji, I'd probably give him a medal if I had one. If someone like Koenji were a friend of mine, I'd probably find it quite bothersome and irritating.

As the gym began to fill, I made my way towards Horikita, who was surprisingly engaged in conversation with Onodera.

"Horikita-San, do you participate in any kind of sports?" Onodera asked.

"No, not really. Why do you ask?"

"Well... It's just that I noticed while we were changing, you had a pretty well build figure compared to the other girls."

"I do exercise daily and I follow a stringent diet to keep my healthy physique."

"I see..."

"What about you, Onodera-San? I noticed that you also had a good body shape." It was nice to know that Horikita was trying to keep the conversation going.

"Eheh, I feel a bit flattered by your compliment," Onodera said while scratching her head. "Actually, I used to be in the swimming club during my elementary and middle school days. I also recently just applied and got accepted into the swimming club of this school."

"I see..."

"You know Horikita-San, contrary to what the other girls say about you, you're actually not that hard to talk to."

"It's because you're not as obnoxious as the other girls of our class are."

"I know they can be a pain sometimes, but I promise that they are genuinely nice people.".

"I'll keep that in mind then."

"Well, I better go now. I don't wanna keep Kushida-Chan waiting. See you later Horikita!" Onodera ran while waving goodbye at Horikita.

"You two appear to get along swimmingly," I observed.

"All I'm trying to do is follow your advice and be more open to people. However, this does not imply that we are already mates. As of right now, she and I are nothing more than acquaintances who only speak with one another once in a while." Horikita put it straightforwardly.

So she still has her cold and aloof demeanor, but I suppose some growth, even if it's only a little, is better than none.

"All right, everyone, please assemble around me!" Mashima-Sensei motioned for everyone to come to him. "So, it appears that all 40 of you are in attendance, which is great." He went on after finishing roll call. "Before we get started on our activities, I'd like to have everyone do some stretches first. Circulate around the gymnasium at least five times after you've finished warming up. After that, you can take a three-minute pause to re-energize before we start." Mashima-Sensei instructed.

We all began by stretching, periodically extending, and strengthening our arms, legs, and other body components. We all went for a long jog around the gymnasium after six minutes of stretching. With the exception of myself, Eichiiro, Sudou, Hirata, Koenji, Horikita, Kushida, and Onodera, everyone had a fatigued expression on their faces after we finished jogging. I guess our class wasn't particularly sporty.