## **Chapter 7: The Student Government's Shadows**
**(Ichika's Perspective)**
The student government room was dimly lit, the golden glow of the ceiling lamps casting long shadows across the polished wooden table. **Nine seats. Nine members. All from Class A.**
All eyes were on me.
"So? What's so important that you called us here this late?" one of the members asked, leaning back in his chair.
I clasped my hands together, my usual grin in place. "We have a **potential threat**. And not just any threat—a very **big one**."
A few of them scoffed.
"Relax," another member waved dismissively. "Class B won't ever catch up to us."
I chuckled. "And that's what makes this **so much more interesting**. Because this person isn't from Class B."
I leaned forward.
"He's from **Class 1-C**."
Laughter erupted in the room. Some pounded the table, others shook their heads in amusement. **Class 1-C? A threat?** The very idea was ridiculous.
Then, I played the **audio recording.**
The laughter stopped.
The room fell into silence as the distorted voices from the recording filled the space. The information was clear—someone had already **seen through the school's manipulation.** Someone had planned ahead.
The moment it ended, a member finally spoke up, voice sharp.
"Who sent this?"
I grinned wider. "His name is **Kei Fushimiya.**" I let the name hang in the air, watching their faces shift from confusion to something more… **serious.**
Then, one of them—a girl—narrowed her eyes. "Wait. **Fushimiya?** As in… **that** Fushimiya?"
"The same," I confirmed. "The family of geniuses. And yes—**he's the younger brother of the prodigy with an IQ of 239.**"
A low whistle. Someone muttered a curse.
Another chuckle, this time from the girl. "So the forgotten son finally shows his fangs?" Her laughter grew, turning more sinister. "How entertaining."
I leaned back, satisfied with their reactions. "Since **Kei already understands the manipulation of this school**, that means he has the potential to **rise.** If left unchecked, he could make his way to **Class B… or even Class A.**"
The girl tilted her head, smirking. "Then… why don't we **crush** that little hope of his before it gets out of hand?"
I gave her a slow nod.
"I leave it up to you then, **________**. Don't disappoint us."
Her grin widened.
"Wouldn't dream of it." ## **Chapter 8: The Shadow That Watches**
**(Kei's Perspective)**
I closed the blinds.
One by one, I pulled them shut, blocking out the outside world. **For a week now, I had been watched.** Someone was trailing me, studying me—waiting for something.
At first, I thought it was paranoia. But the feeling never left, and the subtle clues piled up. A presence lingering too long in the distance. Footsteps stopping the moment I turned. The occasional glimpse of movement in my peripheral vision. **This wasn't a coincidence.**
I sat on my bed, deep in thought.
Then, my phone rang.
**Unknown number.**
I picked up, bringing the phone to my ear but saying nothing.
And then—laughter. A soft, amused chuckle, like someone enjoying an inside joke at my expense.
"**Hello, Kei Fushimiya.**"
A woman's voice. Smooth. Playful. **Dangerous.**
My grip on the phone tightened slightly. "Who the hell is this?"
Another chuckle. "You'll find out soon enough."
Click.
The call ended.
I stared at the phone for a moment before setting it down. **Calm. Focused. Detached.** That was how I had to be.
This person—whoever she was—**knew my name.** Not just that, but she was bold enough to make direct contact. That eliminated a few possibilities.
1. **She was in Class 1-A.** The average student wouldn't have access to my personal information.
2. **She was connected to Ichika Renji.** A game like this had his fingerprints all over it.
3. **She had access to information about my family.** Which meant one thing—**she was in the student government.**
A soft sigh left my lips. **The enemy had made their move.**
Which meant it was my turn.
I would need to **keep a close eye on every student government member**—and wait for them to make a mistake.## **Chapter 9: The Smile That Sees Through Me**
**(Kei's Perspective)**
The halls were quiet.
My footsteps echoed faintly against the polished floors as I made my way through the school. **Then, I passed her.**
A girl.
I had no reason to stop—no reason to look. And yet, **something about her felt off.** It was a fleeting sensation, something instinctual. A presence that wasn't normal. **A predator walking among prey.**
I didn't change my pace, but my eyes followed her.
She moved effortlessly through the hallway, like she belonged everywhere and nowhere at once. And then, **she turned a corner.**
I followed.
She didn't stop, didn't look back, but she was leading me somewhere. I already knew where.
**The student government room.**
Sure enough, she arrived at the door. **She wasn't surprised. She wasn't caught off guard.**
**She knew I was following her.**
Slowly, she turned around.
And then—**that smile.**
A twisted, knowing grin stretched across her lips, her eyes gleaming like something out of a horror movie. **It wasn't just amusement—it was a taunt.**
**I see you. I know what you're doing. And it doesn't matter.**
I didn't react. **No change in expression, no shift in posture.** Just a silent, unreadable stare.
The door creaked open behind her.
She stepped backward into the room, her eyes never leaving mine. Then, with one last eerie smile, **the door shut.**
I stood there for a moment. **Calm. Unmoved. Processing.**
Then, without a word, I walked away.
Now I had a face to match the voice on the phone.## **Chapter 10: The Unveiling of Reality**
**(Kei's Perspective)**
The atmosphere in the classroom was tense, but I remained composed. The teacher stood before us, about to present the results of the test when—
**Knock. Knock.**
A visitor.
The teacher's lips curled into an unsettling smile. "Ah, I forgot to mention—we have a special guest from the student government."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
**Then, she stepped in.**
Reika.
She wore an angelic smile, but I knew better. **That face, that presence—I had seen it before.** The girl who had stalked me, the one who had called me.
**So, it's her.**
She introduced herself with a sickeningly sweet voice. "I'm Reika from Class 1-A. I'm part of the student government."
At that moment, **my suspicions were confirmed.** The voice, her position in the student government—she was the one who had been watching me.
"Congratulations, everyone," she said.
A few students smiled, glancing around in confusion, thinking they were being praised. **Idiots.**
Then—
**"Never in my life… have I ever seen a group of failures and abominations in one class."**
Silence.
The mood shifted instantly. The pride in some students' eyes twisted into disbelief, into rage. They had thought she was here to commend them, but instead—**she was mocking them.**
**"What did you just say!?"**
A student named Daiko shot up from his seat, fury in his eyes. He nearly charged at Reika, but four other students held him back. **Hot-headed, impulsive, easy to manipulate.** He was already playing into her hands.
I remained silent, watching. So did the boy beside me.
Reika barely acknowledged Daiko's outburst. Instead, she turned to the screen, her voice dripping with disdain.
**"Look at these garbage test grades."**
The test scores appeared. **Every single student had received a C.**
Reika's voice was merciless. "Even Class D is worse than you, but make no mistake—this class is garbage. After we ensure Class B is **pulverized,** Class C is next."
**A declaration of war.**
Then, the teacher stepped forward. **If anyone expected him to comfort the class, they were fools.**
Instead, he **agreed** with Reika.
"These are the current class points," he said as the projector flickered on.
- **Class D: 0 CP**
- **Class C: 72 CP**
- **Class B: 134 CP**
- **Class A: 311 CP**
**311 points.**
My eyes narrowed slightly. **How the hell did Class A accumulate so much so quickly?**
Reika scoffed. "Such disappointments."
Then, without another word, she left.
The classroom exploded into chaos.
Some students were arguing, shouting over each other, throwing blame left and right. **Some of the girls even cried.**
Pathetic.
I sighed. **This was pointless.** Getting up from my seat, I quietly slipped out of the room.
### **Under the Shade**
Outside, I sat beneath a tree, letting the cool breeze brush against my skin. **I needed to think.**
What was Class A's method? How did they rise to the top so fast? Was it simply manipulation, or was there more to it?
Footsteps approached.
I didn't bother looking up.
**"You're that boy I sit next to, right?"** I finally said. "And your name was…?"
The boy stopped a few feet away. **"Haruto. My name is Haruto."** He paused. "And I have a question for you."
I sighed. **Here we go.** "We can do this another—"
**"You've been sneaking around lately, haven't you?"**
I stopped.
Haruto's voice was firm, his eyes sharp. "I've been watching. After the entrance ceremony, I saw you talking to Ichika Renji. Then I saw you leaving the student council room while Ichika was inside, smirking like a devil. And that girl—**Reika.** She was following you."
**So, he noticed.**
I leaned back against the tree, closing my eyes briefly before sighing. "They've declared war on Class C."
Haruto's expression darkened. "If you knew that sooner, why didn't you tell us? The class could've worked together to stop this."
I chuckled, voice laced with sarcasm. "Oh, sure. **Like how you all handled things perfectly when Reika came to our class?** It's not like some idiot almost got himself expelled by attacking her, right?"
Haruto clenched his jaw but said nothing.
I pushed myself off the tree, brushing past him as I started heading back.
**This class wasn't ready for the truth.**
Not yet.