'Yare yare, even though they're siblings, if something happens at school, that's not good.'
Saiki Kusuo muttered to himself in his mind.
During the tense standoff between the siblings, Saiki Kusuo had slightly used his psychic powers to directly transmit their thoughts into each other's minds.
"So that's how it was... Brother, I'm sorry... I always thought that was the only way to get your approval..."
Horikita Suzune quickly apologized to her brother after hearing Horikita Manabu's words.
'So my brother has always hated me like this?'
"Now that you know, there's not much left for me to say."
Horikita Manabu released his grip, stepped back, and adjusted his glasses.
'Did I just blurt out my inner thoughts without realizing it?'
At that moment, Horikita Manabu was still somewhat confused, but since Horikita Suzune now understood his thoughts, he could only let things take their course.
"I hope you understand this, grow from it, and realize why you were placed in Class D."
Horikita Manabu's tone seemed calmer, and the tension between him and his sister eased slightly.
"I-I'll do my best!"
'Horikita's usual arrogant attitude—is she imitating her brother? Oh well, hopefully, after today, her personality will improve a bit. Not that I interact with her much anyway.'
Saiki Kusuo glanced down at the empty can in his hand. The coffee was long gone.
'It's getting late. I should head back. Today's events were such a hassle.'
He tossed the can into the trash and walked toward the dormitory.
...
The next day, Saiki Kusuo arrived in the classroom as usual. Today was no different from any other day.
Saiki Kusuo slightly raised his head, his gaze falling on Kushida Kikyo, who was chatting excitedly with a few classmates, as if she hadn't been the one involved in last night's incident.
'In this school, I need to find someone I can rely on to secure my position in class and avoid being bullied... Lately, I've been focused on reviewing for tests, so I haven't had a chance to act... For now, Hirata seems like the best target in the class.'
'There aren't many reliable boys. Hirata has the best reputation and grades, and he's not bad-looking either—he's the ideal target. Ike, Sudo, and Yamauchi aren't even worth considering. Ayanokoji looks decent, but he's too gloomy.'
'Tatsuhara is too flashy, and Miyake isn't much better...'
Saiki Kusuo turned his head toward the source of the voice—Karasuma Kei, formerly known as Karuizawa Kei.
Like Kushida Kikyo, Karasuma Kei had excellent social skills, though mostly among girls. Her delinquent-like aura seemed to make her quite popular with the female students.
For Saiki Kusuo, however, people with such strong social skills were the hardest to interact with. They tended to draw too much attention, and he didn't want that attention directed at him. As a result, he and Karasuma Kei had barely spoken to each other.
At that moment, Karasuma Kei's gaze swept across the faces of all the boys in the class, as if evaluating their pros and cons.
'Uh, are you scanning them like products at a supermarket?'
Saiki Kusuo thought to himself. Finally, Karasuma Kei's gaze landed on him.
[...]
'Come on, think of something already!'
Karasuma Kei's eyebrows twitched slightly before she looked down at her phone.
'What's his full name again?'
[...]
For a moment, Saiki Kusuo didn't know what to think, though it was probably a good thing for him.
'Saiki... Still nothing special about him so far.'
Meanwhile, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had been quietly observing Saiki Kusuo, unaware that the latter had been reading his thoughts the entire time.
'I haven't noticed anything unusual about him these past few days. Was Chabashira-sensei's information wrong?'
'No, that's unlikely. From what I've observed, she may seem indifferent to class affairs, but Chabashira Sae wouldn't pass up any opportunity to climb higher. So, she must know something about Saiki. He must have enrolled through unconventional means, which is why she suspects him. But clearly, her suspicion of Saiki Kusuo is just that—suspicion. She's using me to gather more information.'
'At this point, Chabashira-sensei might already know something about my situation, probably because of Matsuo's special arrangements for my enrollment. That man likely can't bring in other White Room students quickly. Even if he does, they shouldn't pose a threat to me. But I can't let my guard down, not even one percent. After all, I still haven't gathered any useful information about Saiki. If he's truly hiding something, he's no ordinary person.'
In just a few seconds, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's mind raced with these thoughts.
'What even is this White Room? It sounds like some illegal tutoring center or an unlicensed gym. From Ayanokoji's thoughts, I can piece together most of it, but it seems more White Room students might enter the school later. Hopefully, their target is Ayanokoji, not me.'
Saiki Kusuo sighed in his mind. It looked like his life at this school wouldn't be as peaceful as he'd hoped.
Just then, the classroom door opened again, and a graceful figure appeared before everyone.
Wearing a red uniform, a white miniskirt, and black over-the-knee socks that hugged her pale thighs, Horikita Suzune stepped into the classroom.
As she entered, all eyes turned to her.
Her long hair from the previous day was gone, replaced by a shoulder-length bob.