[Alpha Group (Team S) Chat]

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[Are you girls ready? Let's meet in the lobby in 30 minutes.]

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Today is the second day after our return from the cruise ship. Despite the fact that we have just enjoyed a two-week vacation full of luxury and extravagance, something we'd never have the chance to experience under normal circumstances, most freshmen are either using their time to rest or play at the many facilities ANHS has to offer.

For most of Class 1-C, though, that's not possible.

Because of the many defeats my class experienced in the past, our leader, Ryuuen Kakeru, decided that now wasn't the time to "laze around". According to him, if we don't find out who 'X' is soon, the dream of reaching Class A just might become impossible.

There are many within Class C who doubts the existence of this person, but no one dares to voice such thoughts.

Personally, I believe that Ryuuen-kun is just trying to use this unknown existence to instill fear and keep everyone under his control.

But even then, I can't help but feel anxious about the possibility.

The primary reason why I chose to isolate myself from the world, and my family, was because I finally felt hope with all those promises. Three years of studying at an elite high school was a small price to pay If I could give my mother and brother a better life by the end of it. 

But I was a fool. Not one month after joining ANHS, I was reminded that nothing comes cheap in this world. 

'Only students graduating from Class A will receive that benefit.'  Our homeroom teacher said.

Those words made me go dizzy. 

After everything I sacrificed... To go back empty-handed... 

'NO! I would rather...'

"Ugh." I bit my own lips, trying to stop my mind from going down that path. 

...The irony of it all is that the person I absolutely despised at first glance is also the one I must bet everything on... Ryuuen Kakeru, the tyrant of Class C. 

'A delinquent.'  I scoffed.

He is the depiction of everything I hate. He is everything I should be fighting against. His way of resorting to violence at every turn sickens me to my core. It's hard to even look at his cocky face. 

But, somehow, he also earned a bit of my respect. 

Ryuuen-kun is the only person in this school I can rely on to achieve the impossible goal of reaching Class A. There is no one else I can put my hopes on. So...

It doesn't matter how much it hurts me, how much it goes against my ideals... How much he reminds me of that hell. 

For them, I can't give up. I'll do whatever it takes.

That's why I decided to follow him.

Even now, I believe his chaotic mind is capable of outsmarting all the other Class leaders. Based on my initial investigations, his aggressive M.O. should have been capable of throwing them off balance. 

Back then, I truly believed that Class C would rapidly surpass Class B, and then an extended battle between Ryuuen-kun and Sakayangi-san would begin. But, in the end, ...

I couldn't have been more wrong.

Because of an unknown variable, 'X', Class D suddenly became a threat, and now we are on the verge of being demoted to the lowest class.

No one there should be able to pull off something like that. I am sure that we didn't overlook anyone, and yet...

"Hahh." I sighed.

If there is anyone to blame for our current predicament, then it is me. I failed my task.

Now, back to square one, Ryuuen-kun gave me the order to reactivate Team S and "put pressure on 'X'".

The idea is that, since we don't know who 'X' is exactly, we should suffocate him by limiting his allies' movements. This way, either he'll come out of the shadows and reveal himself, or he will use another contact to perform tasks, different from those we know. Then we would repeat this process until we find a weak link.

Personally, I think this way of using 'Team S' is too inefficient. Most of Class C are driven only by fear, and we are just high-school students. We'll all tire out eventually.

The timing of this 'operation' is not good either. We are just past mid-august, and there is still a two-week break before school returns. It's likely that 'X' is spending time in his room doing nothing at all.

But even after I argued against spending so much energy like this, he just answered with, "That's the point. kukuku. Nothing is supposed to happen. So, if anything happens, it's him."

...Even if that makes sense in his head, it remains a fact that it's too inefficient. He should understand that too.

My gut tells me that Ryuuen-kun is aiming for something else, something he doesn't want me to know. And the thought of whatever it might be creeps me out.

After tying my hair in a ponytail, like usual, I put on my shoes and open the door to step into the corridor.

Most of the time, this routine of stal- *ahem*-  investigating people is quite boring. That's especially the case when you are investigating a loner. Nothing against them, I could even say that I'm one myself, but they certainly make my life harder than it should, and it so happens that my target is a complete shut-in. His name...

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. 

When Ryuuen-kun asked me about him, I was confused, but I did remember his name quite faintly. At the start of the year, he was the boy who occupied the fourth position in the ranking of hottest guys. 

Despite that, he didn't do anything noteworthy that would make him stand out. Apparently, that makes Ayanokouji-kun the primary suspect in Ryuuen-kun's eyes. 

Entering the elevator, I pressed the 'G' option and leaned on the wall.

Yajima-san and Nishino-san were very kind to offer me company this time. I would surely stand out by following a boy around the school on my own. Unfortunately, though, there is a reason they are not part of 'Team S'.  I just hope they won't screw everything up today.

Walking through the crowded lobby, I started searching for them. It wasn't long before I saw the two girls sitting on a couch.

"Hey there. Have you waited for long?" I waved, sitting beside Nishino-san. Glancing at the CCTV, we could see that our target was still nowhere to be seen. We could end up getting caught off guard if Ayanokouji-kun used the staircase, but that would also make him the most suspicious person in the world, so I'll dismiss that possibility.

"Mmm... I arrived a little earlier than you. Still, It would be cool if we found out who that 'X' person is, right? he-he"

hmph. So that's her reason, huh? 

I don't blame her, though. I haven't felt this excited in a long time... If I manage to unravel this mystery and expose the culprit of our misfortune, I'll at least be making up for my mistake.

"Are we sure he is still in his room, though? It would be a shame if he left already," said Yajima-san.

"Most of the other groups have already left the dorm and are following their targets. If they see target Alpha, we'll be informed through group chat." I told.

"Ne, Kinoshita-chan, do you think that Ayanokouji-kun is the mastermind? I mean... There must be a reason why Ryuuen-kun asked you to personally go after him, don't you think?" asked Nishino-san.

I wondered about that too... but the truth is that we know nothing about 'X', and trying to understand the mind of Ryuuen-kun is a waste of time.

"It would make sense if we consider everything that happened before the Zodiac Exam, but it would be bad if the mastermind turns out to be someone from Class D."

In that scenario, Class A and Sakayanagi-san wouldn't be the only challenge Class C would have to face to reach the top Class. No, every class would have a different type of strength, making everything more complicated. It would clear way for a 4-way battle.

Glancing at the CCTV again, I see a boy using the elevator to get to the girl's floor. How curious...

"Yeah... That would be so unfair... Even more so if the mastermind is Ayanokouji-kun."

"What do you mean?" I frowned.

"It's just that we wouldn't be able to go out with the number one enemy of our class, right? I mean... I voted for him back in April, you know?" vented Yajima-san.

I sighed.

Can't blame her for that either... I voted for him too.

As we kept talking about frivolous things, I soon noticed that we had been waiting for almost an hour. Feeling impatient, I decided to stand up. That's when the subject of our discussion finally appeared.

"So, that's when I trie-"

"Hey, look. He is here. Let's go to the entrance and wait for Ayanokouji-kun there."

"Oh, finally! LET'S GO!" Nishino-san jumped from her seat.

I sighed again.  "Remember to keep your voice down. We have to keep a low profile."

"C'mon. We are three hot girls parading around. There is no way we can 'keep a low profile." She countered.

"Just hurry up!" I barked.

"Ok, ok!"

Yajima-san only giggled at her antics. 

There is no way this is gonna work. I should just send them home and sneak on my own, but that would be too rude, I guess.

Resigning to fate, I decided to wait for target Alpha by the side of the entrance door. And, after he left, If we just so happened to walk a similar path to his, that would be nothing but a coincidence. 

Just as we got to the desired spot and started engaging in casual conversation, I saw, from the corner of my eye, the elevator's door opening and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka stepping out. It takes a lot of effort not to make eye contact in a moment like this, I realized.

Little time passed before he confidently walked past us and turned left without even acknowledging our presence.

'That should be a good sign.'

We waited a few moments, and then I nodded, saying we could finally start the stal- *ahem*- investigation.

The path Alpha chose to take is quite an ordinary one. It leads to an intersection that can get you to pretty much any facility or area on school grounds... But I should still be anticipating his movements.

[General Group (Team S)]

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[Beta, report your situation.] 

[Target 'N' is at the Music Studio. She's alone.]

[Gamma, report.]

[Target 'KK' is currently at the mall with a                                                                                                           large group. Target 'H' is also with her.]

[Delta?]

[I've lost track of target 'K'. He was heading to the mall.]

'Lost him again?'  I mocked.

[Everyone, just report]

[Target 'S' is in her room.]

['B', pool.]

[Target 'I' is in the pallet.]

[Target 'R' same as Target 'S'.]

[Target 'P' - movie theater.]

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If Ayanokouji-kun ever tries to meet with any of the other targets, except target 'K', we should be able to anticipate and make preparations. Since 'S', 'I', and 'R' are in the dorms, he shouldn't be meeting with any of them.

I put my phone back in my pocket and kept following Alpha. Yajima-san and Nishino-san were just chit-chatting along the way.

After taking a few turns, we see our target turning left again. Knowing where that would take us, I sped ahead and hid in the corner of the wall. 

The sight which awaited me was a surprising one.

The Student Council President Horikita Manabu was waving and walking towards Ayanokouji-kun. His secretary was just behind him with a grim expression.

It seemed like the President and our target were acquainted with each other. 

"This is interesting. I bet Ryuuen-kun will laugh like a maniac when he hears about this."

"Should we try to get closer and listen what they are talking about?" Yajima-san asked.

"We don't know how long they'll stay like this. Let's just observe for now." I said.

Not much can happen if we get caught pursuing Ayanokouji-kun around campus, but it's a different story if Horikita Manabu catches us trying to eavesdrop on his conversation. Since I don't trust these two beside me to not screw up, it's better to play safe.

From where we stand, it's impossible to make sense of anything they say, but even so, I'm trying to lip-read. Who knows? Maybe I'm lucky to pick something up.

Focusing again on the trio in front of me, I see Secretary Tachibana getting flustered at something Ayanokouji-kun said. She started screaming about vultures and searching for something in the sky, clearly panicked.

'Watafuck?' That created a question mark above my head.

I didn't have much time to think about it, though, as soon after, the SC President motioned the others to follow and started leading the way.

"Hm. What do you think? Should we follow them?" I heard Nishino-san asking.

"Let them gain some distance. We'll go soon after." I said.

This behavior from the trio certainly changes things. At first, I was willing to believe that they were just acquaintances greeting each other, but now it's clear that there is something deeper going on.

'Maybe Ayanokouji Kiyotaka is our guy after all.' I mused.

Once I judged it was safe enough to keep tailing the target, we left our hiding spot and started walking after them.

Their final destination wasn't far, and soon we were faced with an inconspicuous building with a plain glass door.  The ambient inside was well-illuminated, and I could hear a lot of movement inside. 

Without hesitation, I pushed the door open and walked inside.

From the entrance hall, I could see dozens of tables positioned across the floor, which was much bigger than one would assume from the facade. Several workers were carrying food and beverage to the students waiting at the tables. Several adults were also sitting in a particular section of the building.

Thinking about that, I noticed the signs indicating the different sections that kept sets of tables away from others. This particular building had predefined areas meant to accommodate and separate the students based on their years and classes.

I scoffed. 'A more sensible girl would call it segregation.' 

Heading to the counter, I started searching for our target. 

At this point, even I can see that it'll be impossible to get any valuable information from their conversation, but he would make my life hell give up that easily, and I can live without that. Besides, now even I am curious about what is going on here.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Ayanokouji-kun sitting at a table meant for the Seniors, diminishing my hopes yet again. 

I sighed.

"Well... Isn't it unfair that he gets to sit in the best spot while we don't?" questioned Yajima-san.

"He is a guest from Horikita Manabu. We are not." I shrugged.

"Just another unfair thing in my book." quipped Nishino.

After receiving our orders, which were nothing fancy, I started thinking about how dangerous this place is.

While we were on his tail, it would be difficult for target Alpha to spot or even confront us. Now that we are here, a simple turn of his head would put us within his eyesight.

Maybe it would be prudent to cut the day short and head our own way after this.

The meeting between the parties turned out to be uneventful on the surface. Still, even if it wasn't possible to understand what they were saying, the analysis of their body language couldn't have been more interesting.

The first, and most obvious thing to the eye, was the secretary's, Akane Tachibana, frequent loss of control and outbursts. Every time Ayanokouji-kun opened his mouth, something seemed to snap in her. That was particularly amusing.

The second thing, which was more challenging to observe, is that the President seemed to be lost in thought throughout the whole meeting. It was as if something unexpected was happening before his eyes, something unaccounted for, and he was trying very hard to predict the repercussions.

The third, and most challenging thing to notice, was Ayanokouji's unchanging nonchalant nature. Nothing seemed to faze, surprise or irritate him. It was almost as if he was the one in control the whole time... As if he was the predator between them.

"But that doesn't make any sense, does it?" I muttured.

Before I knew it, the meeting had ended, and Ayanokouji-kun was making his leave. I was so distracted that I couldn't even comprehend what Secretary Tachibana was shouting this time around.

While making his way out, the brown-haired boy glanced our way, and I briefly met his piercing golden eyes before averting my gaze, focusing on the empty cup before me instead.

"Kinoshita-san, what are you doing? We should go after him." urged Nishino-san, standing up from my side.

"...Yajima-san, can you stay and pay our tab? We'll lose him if we wait." I justified.

"Mm. Yeah, no problem. You can go ahead." she smiled.

"Thanks. I'll pay you back later." I promised, rushing out of the building.

The moment I crossed the door, I looked in every direction, trying to get a glimpse of him. It was then that I saw the back of a boy turning and entering an alley down the street. 

Not wanting to lose sight of him, I ran as fast as possible towards where he had disappeared. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I registered the fact that Nishino-san was running after me. The problem was that she wouldn't be able to keep up. I was much faster than her.

Entering just the previous passage, I rushed to the back alley and took a look from the corner, still hoping to remain inconspicuous.

Not seeing anything, I sped to the other side and took another look left and right. Not seeing anything, I repeated the process; same results.

Then again. 

And again.

Again. 

In the midst of that, I took a moment to recollect my thoughts.

Again. 

At first, we were a trio of girls following a boy. Said person met the President and his Secretary at a place where we possibly got exposed and lost one of our members. The moment I chased after him, I was forced to leave the the last member of my group behind.

Now, I'm navigating these maze-like alleys all alone, with my companions nowhere near.

Again.

After so many repeats, I started considering his motives. What is he doing here? Is he meeting someone important? Someone who could provide an answer to the mystery of 'X'? Or perhaps...

It was then that a sudden realization hit me. 'Could it be that...?' I started before sighting the fluttering of a red cloth just further ahead. That was enough to replace any logical reasoning in my head with just one thought.

"I got you now, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka." I breathed, before rushing forward even faster than ever before.

Little did I know at the time that it was the other way around.