Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's POV

Today is Monday, April 6th, 2015. This is the sixth day of my stay at Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School.

Currently, Chabashira-Sensei was providing us with an explanation about the has of the Yamato government also known as o-Kimi. I did my hardest to appear as if I was paying attention while also attempting to avoid boredom.

In my head, I was currently conducting a chess battle with myself. If you are skilled enough at chess, you will not require a chessboard to play the game. Because white had triumphed, as prophesied by me, I had technically won the battle... And lost at the same time? I'm not sure, it's a little perplexing.

I jumped out of my reverie to check the time to see how many more dreadful minutes I would have to put up with before the session was over.

Three minutes more, huh...

I opted to monitor the rest of the class' conduct during this session since I had nothing else better to do. There were pupils like Hirata, Eichiiro, Horikita, and Kushida who were completely focused on Chabashira-Sensei's lecture. They were either listening intently or taking notes.

Sudo, on the other hand, appeared to be struggling for his life in order to avoid dozing off in class. Hang in there buddy; I understand how you're feeling. Though I'm probably bored for a more different reason than you.

Most of my other classmates were likewise well-behaved, which was admirable; nevertheless, I began to notice that some of them had become more relaxed and informal since the first three days of school.

Yamauchi is a good example. On the surface, he appears to be taking notes, but he's actually reading a manga page and attempting to cover his tablet by putting a notebook over it.

Satou and Shinohara were also examples. They had their phones tucked away under their tables. I'm guessing they were bored and decided to text each other throughout class. They reasoned that if they hid their devices under their tables and looked down from time to time, they wouldn't be discovered.

I could do nothing but sigh in disappointment. Did they forget that there are cameras installed in the classroom? Well, I guess they're in Class D for a reason. If you're going to do something else in class, at least make an effort to conceal it thoroughly.

This is something I'll have to address with them later on. If I continue to let them do as they please, their laid-back attitude will undoubtedly affect the others, which is plainly undesirable if we want to keep as many class points as possible.

The school bell rang repeatedly in my ears, signifying the end of our classes and the beginning of lunchtime. Finally, time seems to move at such a glacial pace when you're bored.

"That will be all for today's class. Please completely evaluate the information I've taught you today." Chabashira-Sensei said up before exiting the classroom quickly.

After Chabashira-Sensei left the classroom, the majority of my classmates had begun to congregate with their friends, with a select few enjoying their lunches alone. If I had wanted to live a tranquil life here instead of pursuing Class A, I would have probably become one of those people. That component was definitely influenced by the social skills I've built over the past year.

Normally, I would use lunchtime as an opportunity to get to know my classmates better either by getting invited by a new group of classmates or by sticking to familiar acquaintances such as the Ayanon group, Hirata, and his harem of girls, or Kushida's friend group.

But I had no intention of eating lunch with any of them right now. I believed today would be the ideal time for me to approach Class A and do my own investigation for further information. Hirata and Kushida have already been notified, so their circle of friends won't bother me for today.

Just as I was going to get up and go to Class A, someone had unexpectedly shouted out to me.

"Yo, Ayanokouji!" When I turned around to check who had called my name, I was met with Sudou's presence with Ike and Yamauchi behind him.

"May I help you Sudou?" I asked.

"Do you wanna like to join us for lunch? I mean, we've barely talked, and I kinda wanna get to know you better. Also, if you want to join us, we'll be eating somewhere close to the convenience store." He responded with an invitation.

I'm guessing he meant me, him, Ike, and Yamauchi when he referred to "us,". If it were any other day, I would most likely accept his invitation. Unfortunately, today was not one of those days.

"I'm sorry Sudou, but I'll have to decline for today. I already have plans to eat with someone else today." I politely rejected his offer. "If you'd like, we can eat lunch at another time."

"Damn, It's a shame you can't join us right now but sure! Let's go eat some other time. " Sudou said enthusiastically. He then left my table and proceeded to the convenience store with Ike and Yamauchi.

"I'm surprised you turned down Sudou's offer." My next-door neighbor abruptly spoke out.

" I told you on Saturday, didn't I? I'm going to meet someone from Class A in the hopes of learning more about their class."

"That's something I'm already aware of; it's just... Are you sure you'll be fine going into unknown territory by yourself?"

Was she concerned about me or something? I instantly dismissed the thought, assuming she was more concerned with whether or not I would succeed.

"I can't promise you anything, but I'll do my best to steer the conversation in my favor, and hopefully she'll make a blunder and spill some confidential information by accident," I clarified.

"I see... Well, good luck, I guess."

"Thank you. I'll see you later, Horikita." I bid my farewell. But before I could even leave, someone had called me out again before I could even reach the classroom door handle.

"Yo, Ayanon!" Hasebe called out to me with Yukimura and Miyake behind her.

"Do you guys need anything?"

"Well, since the club fair, we haven't really hung out, so we were just wondering if you'd want to join us for lunch?" Hasebe offered.

We haven't been able to communicate much with one other except through online texting. I wanted to spend time with them, but I had more pressing matters to attend to.

"Sorry, but perhaps another time. I've already made plans for lunch with someone else."

"Eh? So you have plans with another person? Ara, don't tell me it's a girl?" She smiled sarcastically while playfully raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, it's a girl." I bluntly replied.

"EH?!" She was taken aback and yelled loudly with surprise. This drew the attention of the entire class.

"Oi, Hasebe, We're out in the open right now. Don't make a fool of yourself in front of our classmates." Miyake admonished her in a lighthearted manner.

"Why are we even startled in the first place? After all, Ayanokouji is rather popular among our peers. I wouldn't really be surprised if he already had a girlfriend at this point." Yukimura made a remark.

"EH?! You already have a girlfriend Ayanon?!" She asked, flabbergasted.

When everyone heard this, some of the girls were completely focused on our chat, while some of the boys were openly glaring at me with killing intent. Crap, if I don't clear things out, there might be some misunderstandings about me. I really don't want any more unnecessary attention than I've already had to deal with the past week.

"Hasebe, please calm down. Don't make snap judgments based on a lack of evidence." I attempted to mediate the situation. "I'm just going to talk with an old childhood friend of mine. I haven't seen her in a long time and would like to catch up with her on several matters."

It wouldn't be a stretch to call Arisu a childhood acquaintance. She is the only one in this school who knows everything there is to know about me. She has also visited the white room in person and is quite familiar with it.

"I suppose I should be going now. I don't want to keep her waiting any longer than necessary." I swiftly exited the classroom after saying my goodbyes.

I could hear some gossip and murmuring from the girls as I walked out of the classroom. They were primarily discussing me and a mystery childhood pal. Was having a childhood friend really so unusual? I guess I'll have to ask Eichiiro about it later.

I felt like people were staring at me while walking to Class A, but it wasn't as awful as it had been the previous three days, which was a huge sigh of relief.

It took a few minutes, but I finally made it to the class with the nameplate "Class 1-A" inscribed on it.

I had to figure out a strategy to approach their class first without appearing suspicious. For instance, should I, for example, storm into the classroom and enthusiastically call out Arisu? No, I'd sooner die than attempt to duplicate myself as a happy-go-lucky person.

Should I ask for her contact information from someone from Class-1A and message her privately so I don't have to draw attention to myself in class? I quickly disregarded the notion, fearing that the person I would ask for her contact information would misinterpret my motives and spread tales about me and her. I didn't want to be a bother to the both of us.

Because this setting was so different from anything I'd ever encountered before, someone like me needed to devise a plan. I was cut off from most of the outside world ever since I was a child. It was do or die for me as I stepped alone into a battleground.

Ugh, why does socializing with other people have to be so bothersome. Even if I've spent the last year honing my social abilities to the point that I'm acceptable to others, I'm not a social elite like Hirata or Eichiiro.

I attribute my lack of social skills to the White Room as I was unable to acquire them because all of my generation's children had dropped out by the time I was nine or ten years old. As a result, I was cut off from all human contact with all of the people around my age. Until a year ago, I was completely and utterly alone and secluded.

"Ayanokouji? What are you doing just standing around over there?" While I was wrestling with my non-existent anxiety, someone had had again called out to me for the third time of the day. I broke out from my trance to see who had called out to me, I was greeted by Hashimoto.

"Oh, Hashimoto. I just need to talk to someone in your class." I answered truthfully.

"Is that true? If that's the case, why don't you simply walk right in? You've been there a long time." Hashimoto added something to the conversation.

Trust me, Hashimoto, Instead of fretting about something as little as this, if I had the bravery to walk in there myself, we wouldn't even be having this conversation.

"I would if I could, but I'm not the most outgoing or extroverted person out there. As a result, I'm a little apprehensive about stepping into someone else's class."

"You don't need to be so concerned over something as minor as that! In fact, you're actually a really hot topic in our class. I'm sure everyone would welcome your presence there." Hashimoto attempted to persuade me.

Well, that's easy for you to say. Have you ever been reared in a secluded facility, cut off from human contact for most of your life?

Yeah, I didn't think so.

"But if you're really that hesitant... Then I guess I can help you and contact that person on your behalf." Hashimoto offered his assistance.

"Really? Thanks, man. I really appreciate the kind gesture." I expressed my gratitude.

"Don't sweat it. It's the least I can do to make amends for posting that photo of you without your consent on the school forum. Anyways, I just need the name of the person you're looking for from my class."

"Oh, yeah. Her name is Sakayanagi Arisu." I responded. He widened his eyes in surprise after hearing her name while looking at me with a baffled expression.

"...Sorry, I think I must have misheard you. Can you say her name again?"

"Uh... Sure? Her name is Sakayanagi Arisu." I repeated.

"You're not here to ask her on a date or something like that, are you? She's not exactly the warmest or friendliest person you'll ever meet. Plus, she's a little frightening in my opinion."

I could be overanalyzing it, but do I detect fear in his tone? Was there something Arisu did to him that caused him to be so hesitant? Knowing her, she most likely did something.

"I already know all of that. I'm her childhood friend after all." I answered casually.

"Wait, are you serious?!" Hashimoto inquired his face contorted with surprise. "Your not making some kind of joke are you?"

"Why would I make a joke about something so serious? You can ask her yourself if you don't believe me. I just want to have lunch with her because it's been a long time since I've seen her. I simply just want to do some catching up with her." I explained.

"If you two are already acquainted, as you claim, I don't see why I shouldn't summon her here. But, just in case, I'll ask her if you and she are really childhood friends. It's not that I don't trust you; it's just that the princess can be rather terrifying at times, and if you were caught lying about knowing her, she'd most likely find a method to punish you or something equally threatening."

Is he always this cautious when it comes to Arisu? Was she truly that ominous to other people? When we initially met, she didn't appear to be that type of person. Then again, everyone always behaves differently depending on the environment they're in or the person they're talking to.

However, it's possible that there's a part of her that she only shows when she's with me. If I were any other typical adolescent boy, I'd be ecstatic to learn that a beautiful girl like her treated me more specially than she did with others, but I didn't feel particularly happy. Not in the least.

"It's fine, I get it. I'm sure there's a reason you act so wary when it comes to her." He meekly nodded as a response. He then turned around and headed back to his classroom.

I could see several groups of Class A students eating lunch from the classroom window, most of whom were grouped around two students. Arisu was one, and the other was the tall, bald man who had attracted my curiosity during the entrance ceremony.

The bald man was surrounded by a large group of individuals, but his most notable companion was a young man with matching green hair and eyes. So he was the one who went around picking his nose in public with no shame... Please remind me to not get involved with him at all costs.

Arisu's group of folks caught my attention on the other side of the classroom. They were primarily focused on Arisu's current conversation with them. I tried to read her lips, but it was impossible to do so because it was so difficult to discern what she was saying.

I could also see Hashimoto approaching her desk stealthily as if he were a predator keeping a close eye on his victim. He muttered something into her ears as soon as he arrived at her desk, which I assume was about my invitation. She responded with a little chuckle and also whispered something into his ears.

He briskly walked away from the group and out of the classroom as they had finished their short and brief talk. Her classmates, understandably, were perplexed and curious by the topic they might have had just discussed. Arisu appeared to be reassuring them when she noticed this.

There was also a female with purple eyes and thigh-length purple hair tied in a long ponytail on the right side with swept bangs in the herd of people around Arisu. Her name was Kamuro if my memory serves me correctly. I had unexpected ran into both of them at the end of my trip to the convenience store.

She was quite stunning, I must say. Though she generally had an annoyed expression on her face rather than a pleasant or cheery one, it undoubtedly diminished her appeal to some other boys but I honestly didn't mind it. She appeared to be visibly uneasy being around Arisu, giving me the idea that they weren't the best of friends. Arisu may have even compelled her to accompany her despite her obvious aversion.

I may be observing too much, but this was a fascinating sight to witness. For example, I tallied the number of students in the classroom and discovered that every single one of them was present there.

Typically, some students would congregate around the school cafeteria for lunch. It was one of the few sites with enough space to accommodate the majority of the pupils.

Others, on the other hand, preferred to eat lunch somewhere else. Other students would rather buy their lunch at a convenience store and eat them at some other place like at the rooftop or in a quiet area like the school's corners where they could hear the ocean, or in their respective classrooms. Others who didn't have to worry about the points went to one of the several buildings on campus where they could eat lunch.

This raises multiple questions inside my head Like Why were all of the students in Class A present in their classroom when the other classes would normally be eating lunch somewhere else or, better yet, why were they only collected around two people? It seemed as if the class had been divided into two.

Of course, I could be overthinking things, but I cannot afford to miss even one small element if I want to learn more about Class A. Even a minor detail could assist me in determining what kind of structure and leadership Class A operates under.

My thoughts were interrupted as I noticed someone waving their palm in front of my eyes. I turned my head to see, and it was Hashimoto.

"Are you all right, dude? I've been calling your name over and over, but you just stood there calmly and unresponsive like a statue."

It seems I had become so engrossed in my thoughts that I had lost track of my surroundings. I definitely need to break this horrible habit of mine so that I don't end up disgracing myself in front of others.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm sorry if I've caused you any concern." I apologized. "When I have nothing to do, I have a propensity of daydreaming in public which usually makes me oblivious to the surroundings around me."

"Don't worry about it. You didn't bother me in the least. Anyway, it appears to be exactly as you claim. You and the princess really are childhood friends..."

Princess? Is that the sobriquet she's been given by others? Or is that just he who calls her that? Well, I suppose the moniker is understandable given that she exudes an air of superiority and grandeur around her. Her attractive appearance is also likely to contribute to people's perceptions of her.

"How did she respond to my invitation?" I enquired. Even if she declined, I had already gotten some knowledge of her class, even if it was only a smidgeon.

"She said she would love to have lunch with you. She stated that you should wait for her at the special annex building because she has some business to attend to. She told me to inform you that she'd be there in around five to six minutes." He let me know.

The special annex building, eh? I haven't gotten the opportunity to visit the building yet, but it certainly was a weird spot to pick just to have lunch in. Perhaps she also has a hidden agenda in accepting my invitation. Well, I guess I can't complain because I was the same.