I'm in a real religion, why are all the people who confess to me girls?

"The most advantageous class in this competition is Class D. Although Class D is a formidable opponent in academic competitions, defeating Class D doesn't prove anything or bring any benefits, so I have no objection to Class D being eliminated from the start. So why not attack Class C? Although Class C is slightly stronger than Class B academically, they are still insignificant compared to us. As for the ranking, needless to say, the mere fact that we defeated Miyako Amane is enough to restore Class A's peak momentum."

Katsuragi's tone gradually became excited. In his view, if they could take advantage of the current favorable situation and defeat Class C in one fell swoop, they could then announce that Class A had defeated Amane.

At that time, fame and prestige will be irresistible, and Class A will also be able to build confidence from this, since they can defeat Tianyin once, they can defeat Tianyin a second time!

No matter how strong Tianyin is in martial arts, she will still be defeated by Class A in terms of academic ability.

Therefore, Katsuragi is more inclined to attack Class C first. However... he has also heard that Sakayanagi and Amane have a good relationship, seemingly a friendship that has lasted since childhood. Under such circumstances, can Sakayanagi really make up his mind to attack Class C?

Therefore, Katsuragi did not propose a new plan to change Sakayanagi's mind this time. Instead, Katsuragi used Amane to test Sakayanagi's attitude and see if Sakayanagi would put personal matters aside for public duty.

Sakayanagi could see right through Katsuragi's little trick.

but……

She admitted to herself that she was indeed not ready to fight Tianyin.

She considered herself the person who understood Tianyin the most, but the more she understood Tianyin, the clearer she became of Tianyin's terrifying strength. It was overwhelmingly powerful. If Tianyin disregarded the class and the rules and forcibly tried to bring Class A to its knees, it would probably be an easy thing for her to achieve that level.

Because she wields supreme and absolute violence.

Fortunately, Tianyin cares more about dating pretty girls and enjoying delicious food than ruling his class, grade, or school.

Even so, Sakayanagi wasn't confident about facing Amane head-on, for no other reason than that he had lost too many times.

It's more accurate to say they never won at all.

This often makes Sakayanagi feel somewhat insecure when facing Amane.

Well... if we're talking about something, she's probably much better than that idiot Amane at games like goldfish scooping.

"Class C is indeed a good choice, but Katsuragi-kun, you don't know this, but before this, I had already turned Kikyo Kushida of Class C to the other side. Originally, I hoped that she could interfere with Horikita's choice, but recently she fought with a guy from Class C named Sato and suffered a loss. So she asked for my help, and also said that she would make Class C collapse... So I want to take a gamble on Kikyo Kushida."

Kikyo Kushida?

Katsuragi seemed to vaguely recognize the name.

Then the image of a girl with a gentle smile entered Katsuragi's mind.

"So it was her... But with her help, shouldn't we attack Class C even more? If Kushida gets defeated by that Sato guy, or Horikita, or Amane, we'll have lost this hidden move for nothing. I believe you promised Kushida something when you turned him to your side, so we should help Kushida make things bigger."

Katsuragi's strategy, well...

They lean more towards pragmatism; they don't care about aesthetics, as long as it's practical.

Whether Class C collapses or not has nothing to do with Katsuragi Kohei, but Kushida has received benefits from Class A. If Kushida is eliminated, Class A's investment will be lost. Therefore, in Katsuragi's view, even if it means exposing Kushida's identity, he must make the most of Kushida as a pawn. Otherwise, it would be too much of a loss if Kushida were defeated.

Sakayanagi's eyes lit up at first, but he quickly shook his head.

"It's true that putting external pressure on Kushida is the best approach, but I'm worried that Horikita will use this opportunity to eliminate all internal conflicts. If that happens, we'll have to fight against the united Class C, and even if we win, the benefits will be far less than losing a valuable piece."

"You mean... let them run their own internal strife, while we avoid fighting Class C to prevent them from uniting due to external pressure? Brilliant! That way, when Class C really starts to fall out, we can..."

Seeing that Katsuragi understood what he meant, Sakayanagi's face showed a satisfied smile.

"Just like you thought, Katsuragi-kun, that's why I set my sights on Class B for the final exams this time. It's a pity, but at least we can show Class B how powerful Class A is."

Katsuragi nodded.

"Things have come to this point, there's not much more to say. With a wise leader like you, Sakayanagi, Class A will surely go further than I have. I'll leave the rest to you, Sakayanagi-kun."

Katsuragi stood up and bowed respectfully to Sakayanagi.

Sakayanagi was not fooled by Katsuragi's submissive demeanor; his beautiful eyes gradually narrowed into slits.

"I really want to lead the class to go further, but recently some discordant voices have emerged in the class..."

coming!

Katsuragi had long been prepared to be reprimanded.

But when that moment actually arrived, Katsuragi Kohei was also a little nervous.

He was unsure what leverage Sakayanagi had against him, or whether he intended to bring up old grievances.

I would like to hear more details.

"Huh? Katsuragi-kun doesn't know?"

Sakayanagi asked in surprise.

"You're joking. I've been so busy studying lately that I haven't paid any attention to anything else and I know nothing about anything else."

Katsuragi calmly raised his head and met Sakayanagi's gaze.

Sakayanagi's eyes widened suddenly, and he saw Katsuragi Kohei's reflection in his gaze. In an instant, his expression changed from a warm, gentle smile to a serious and dignified one.

As Sakayanagi's expression changed, the atmosphere around them suddenly became tense and tense.

Katsuragi, who had been stared at by Sakayanagi for more than a minute, could feel his back getting wet with sweat.

Just then, Sakayanagi suddenly burst into laughter.

"I knew it! Katsuragi-kun is the person I trust most. How could he possibly betray me with that Totsuka guy? Everyone, come out!"

Chapter 41: A Scheme Within a Scheme

Katsuragi sat up straight, looking around.

A short while later, seven or eight boys and girls entered one after another from outside the door. Each of them was someone Ge Cheng knew very well.

The Sakayanagi faction mobilized its entire core membership.

However, the appearance of another person puzzled Katsuragi.

"Totsuka, why are you here? The wound on your face..."

Katsuragi seemed to sense something and didn't continue. With Totsuka's bruised and swollen face, it was obvious that Sakayanagi had ordered others to do this. If it were before, Katsuragi would have loudly questioned Sakayanagi about what had happened and why he was so ruthless in treating his classmate.

The reason Katsuragi didn't react excessively was because he knew Totsuka's personality too well. If Totsuka was deliberately bullied by Sakayanagi, he would definitely fight back to the death. Even if he was beaten to the point of near death, he would still shout to Katsuragi that he would avenge him.

This image aligns with Katsuragi's perception of Totsuka.

But Totsuka was lying motionless on the ground like a dead dog. He didn't say a word when Katsuragi asked him questions, just pressed his face against the cold wall and the ground.

Needless to say, Katsuragi knew that Totsuka must have committed some unforgivable mistake.

"What? Totsuka-kun, you're suddenly getting tough now? I don't remember you being this docile when you were begging for mercy after being beaten."

With Kamuro's help, Sakayanagi walked step by step to Totsuka's side, gently tapping Totsuka's head with his cane, signaling him to look up.

When Hashimoto saw that Totsuka was not cooperating, he immediately grabbed Totsuka's hair and forced him to look up at Sakayanagi and Katsuragi.

Katsuragi glanced subconsciously at the cameras around him.

Sakayanagi noticed Katsuragi's actions.

"Don't worry, the school has cut off all surveillance cameras because they need to inspect and upgrade the lines. That means nothing that happens here will be known to outsiders. Of course, Totsuka-kun, you can also consider reporting me."

Sakayanagi snorted and sat down on the sofa. After having Kamuro pour him a cup of tea, he gestured for Kamuro to inform Katsuragi about Totsuka's situation.

"The reason we're treating Totsuka this way is because we believe he colluded with an enemy during the final exams, reaching an agreement with Ryuen Sho from Class B to leak the answers to Class A's final exam questions through photographs."

Is there any conclusive evidence?

Katsuragi, clinging to his last hope, was still trying to reduce Totsuka's responsibility. If it was only one side of the evidence or if he hadn't completely agreed, there was still room for reconciliation. But to his disappointment, Kamuro silently nodded.

Katsuragi couldn't help but take a few steps back. He couldn't believe that Totsuka, who had always followed him and wanted to graduate from Class A with him, would do something like leaking secrets and betraying Class A.

"asshole!"

Katsuragi quickly took two steps and punched Totsuka to the ground.

"why?"

Katsuragi grabbed Totsuka by the collar and glared at him angrily.

"Why would you do something so foolish? Have you forgotten that you're also a member of Class A?"

bump!

Katsuragi punched Totsuka to the ground again. Totsuka remained silent throughout, only watching Katsuragi vent his anger on him with a bitter smile. But it was this attitude that completely enraged Katsuragi.

If you've done something wrong, you should admit it. What does silence mean? Even at this point, don't you want to face reality?

Katsuragi glanced at Sakayanagi out of the corner of his eye, and seeing that Sakayanagi still maintained his detached attitude, Katsuragi frowned slightly.

He just threw two punches, which looked terrible, but he didn't actually use much force. In other words, he was just trying to gain sympathy.

He hoped that by playing the victim, he could get Sakayanagi to spare Totsuka this time. If Totsuka had cooperated with his act, perhaps Sakayanagi, being a girl, would have taken pity on him and let him go.

But with Totsuka in such a half-dead state, it's impossible for Sakayanagi to feel any pity. Even Katsuragi himself is angry. But right now, there's no other way to get Sakayanagi to show mercy except by playing the victim.

So even though Totsuka now looks even more miserable, he must not stop.

Just as Katsuragi was about to grab Totsuka for the third time to punch him, Kito stopped him at just the right moment.

"Even if you beat him to death now, it won't make a difference. Fortunately, the information hasn't been leaked yet, otherwise... Hmph, my place is too small to keep a big shot like Totsuka-kun."

Katsuragi, sensing a shift in meaning in Sakayanagi's words, finally felt a little relieved.

"But if Totsuka's betrayal isn't dealt with severely this time, everyone will follow his example and sell out Class A's interests for their own selfish gain. How can we continue to lead this class? Sakayanagi! Now is the perfect time to establish your authority."

Katsuragi deliberately criticized Totsuka's behavior loudly, but his words were cleverly worded. While it seemed like he was demanding severe punishment for Totsuka, he was actually implying that everyone was watching Sakayanagi, and if the punishment was too harsh, someone might abandon her in the future because she was too ruthless.

Sakayanagi naturally understood Katsuragi's words, and this was exactly the result she wanted.

"Katsuragi-kun is right."

Upon hearing this, Katsuragi's expression suddenly changed drastically. He had originally intended to subtly remind Sakayanagi of his own shortcomings, but he hadn't expected Sakayanagi to actually follow his lead and punish Totsuka.

If word gets out about what happened today, it will undoubtedly become a story of Katsuragi instigating Sakayanagi to punish those who previously followed him.

This completely ruined Katsuragi Kohei's reputation in the class.

Sakayanagi had been observing Katsuragi's expression, and his smile deepened as he saw Katsuragi lose his composure from being frightened.

"However, while what Katsuragi-kun said makes sense, it was a bit too harsh. Everyone has the right to criticize Totsuka in this incident, but you, Katsuragi-kun, have no right to criticize him. The reason he chose to cooperate with Class B is because Ryuen promised to support you in rising to power again, so Totsuka-kun is actually working hard for you."

Katsuragi's expression instantly became extremely complicated, and his gaze towards Totsuka held something indescribable.

"I no longer have those thoughts, Totsuka. Let's face reality, we've already lost."

"..."

Totsuka lowered his head, unable to bear it.

Seeing Totsuka's pitiful state, Katsuragi hesitated for a moment but finally decided to step forward.

“Since Totsuka’s betrayal is related to me, I naturally can’t stand idly by and abandon him, even if he only wanted to help me unilaterally. My conscience wouldn’t allow me to just leave him like this. Now that you’ve just taken over Class A, if news of someone’s betrayal breaks out immediately, it will damage your reputation. How about… I swear to assist you in managing Class A and actively participate in special exams and other competitive events in exchange for your forgiveness for Totsuka’s rash actions this time.”

Katsuragi ultimately chose complete submission.

Chapter 42: Grandma, Here I Come!

The transaction was successful.

Sitting in what used to be Nagumo Masaru's office, Sakayanagi leaned against the window, watching Katsuragi's somewhat desolate departing figure.

This is the battle for leadership, cruel and realistic. Kind-hearted people like Katsuragi are always the ones being manipulated.

Sakayanagi opened the window.

Suddenly, a blast of cold wind rushed into the room, and everyone behind Sakayanagi couldn't help but hug themselves tightly to escape the chill.

"Sakayanagi, are you crazy? Why are you opening the window on such a cold day?"

Kamuro wanted to close the window in dissatisfaction, but Sakayanagi blocked the window in front of him first.

"You did a good job this time, Totsuka-kun."

Just moments ago, Totsuka was like a dead dog, but now he was rubbing the spot where Katsuragi had injured him and grimacing.

"You didn't say Katsuragi would actually make a move."

"I apologize for that, because I didn't expect Katsuragi to resort to such tactics in his desperation to try and evoke my sympathy. However, I've always been called cold-blooded by Amane, so even if Katsuragi killed you in front of me, I wouldn't react. Fortunately, Katsuragi still had some reservations, otherwise I wouldn't know what to do."

lie!

This woman is a complete liar.

Totsuka's gaze toward Sakayanagi grew increasingly wary.

Compared to her methods, Katsuragi's methods were like the difference between a child and an adult.

From the very beginning, Sakayanagi had a firm grip on the game.

"Next, I'll need Totsuka-san to just go out and let everyone know that you've been 'bullied,' and then... after we hand in our exams tomorrow, please send the prepared answers to Ryuen."