Chapter 109: A Deal With Ayanokouji Kiyotaka!
At that moment, Shimizu Yuto unexpectedly saw Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.
Ayanokouji was returning to the student dormitory alone, looking rather lonely.
"Kei, Kikyo, I have something to discuss with Ayanokouji, so I won't walk you upstairs."
"See you tomorrow."
"Okay."
Kikyo and Kei watched Yuto quickly walk toward Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.
After Yuto left, Kei glared warily at the smiling Kikyo.
"Kushida-san, I'm warning you. Yuto is my boyfriend, so please keep your distance from him!"
In the past, Yuto had not acknowledged Kei as his girlfriend.
But now things were different.
Yuto had personally admitted she was his girlfriend, so Kei had the standing to declare ownership to other girls and tell them to keep their distance.
"Karuizawa-san, don't worry."
Kikyo clasped her hands together with a smile that did not contain much real cheer.
"Yuto and I are only good friends."
It was a very green-tea answer.
"Besides, Karuizawa-san, even if you and Yuto are boyfriend and girlfriend, you can't stop him from talking to other girls."
"If you control Yuto too much, he might start disliking you."
"Guh..."
Kei, who looked strong but was actually fragile, let out a small whimper.
She felt that the thing she feared most now was not people learning about her bullied past.
It was being disliked by Yuto.
...
"Ayanokouji, let's talk."
"Mm?"
Ayanokouji looked at Yuto in confusion.
For some reason, he felt a faint unease in his heart.
"But I need to go back to the dorm and do laundry now, so let's talk another time, Shimizu-kun."
"Someone named Ayanokouji Atsuomi is looking for you," Yuto said with a smile.
"..."
Although Ayanokouji remained expressionless, his pupils trembled faintly.
It seemed the name Ayanokouji Atsuomi carried quite a lot of weight in Kiyotaka's heart.
"I suddenly feel laundry isn't important. Shimizu-kun, let's talk."
"This way."
Yuto pointed to the street beside the student dormitory.
Ayanokouji nodded and followed him over.
Ayanokouji kept walking behind Yuto.
He did not seem anxious at all to know why Yuto had said his father's name.
"By the way, Ayanokouji, you're friends with Sudo Ken, Ike Kanji, and Yamauchi Haruki, right?" Yuto asked.
"..."
Ayanokouji glanced at Yuto's back.
Why had this person suddenly brought up those unrelated people?
"I wouldn't call us friends."
"They just dragged me along to play games a few times, and we ate together in the student cafeteria a few times."
"Isn't that exactly what friends do?"
Yuto sat down on a nearby bench.
Ayanokouji did not sit with him. Instead, he stood nearby and looked at him calmly.
"You know Horikita from our class, right?"
"I know her. She's good at studying, but she's a very cold girl."
"She's a little worried that Sudo, Ike, and Yamauchi won't pass the midterm and will be expelled by the school."
"So she decided to personally teach them."
"So?" Ayanokouji was confused and did not understand what Yuto was saying at all.
"So I want to ask you to invite those three to the library and have them accept Horikita's teaching."
Only now did Ayanokouji understand what Yuto wanted.
He resisted slightly.
"Why don't you go yourself, Shimizu-kun? If you step forward, they should listen obediently, right?"
"Maybe."
"But they only listen to me because they're afraid of me," Yuto said with a smile.
"If they were ordered by me to study, their resistance to studying would become even stronger."
"That's why I can only ask you, as their friend, to convince them to accept Horikita's teaching."
Yuto's words sounded very reasonable.
But Ayanokouji's intuition told him that this man simply found it troublesome and had dumped the troublesome work onto him.
"You help me with this, and I'll tell you everything about Ayanokouji Atsuomi."
"How about this deal?"
Ayanokouji looked deeply at Yuto, who had proposed the deal.
Then he nodded lightly. "I accept this deal."
He had no choice but to agree.
Ayanokouji really wanted to know why that father was looking for him and what he wanted to do.
After all, Ayanokouji had escaped the White Room and entered this school without telling Ayanokouji Atsuomi.
And so, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka was grasped by Yuto.
"Excellent. I'll give you Horikita's contact information now. From now on, contact her directly."
Yuto took out his phone with a smile.
"Okay."
After that, the expressionless Ayanokouji received Horikita Suzune's contact information from Yuto.
"Shimizu-kun, let's exchange contact information too. We may need to contact each other later," Ayanokouji said.
"Sure."
Yuto readily exchanged contact information with Ayanokouji.
"I'll do my best to persuade Sudo and the others to accept Horikita-san's teaching."
"So, Shimizu-kun, please tell me about my father now," Ayanokouji said.
"Of course. Are you going to stand while listening?"
"Mm. I'll stand."
"Suit yourself."
Sitting on the bench, Yuto shrugged.
Then he said, "At noon today, I went to see Chabashira-sensei. By coincidence, your father, Ayanokouji Atsuomi, called her."
"..."
Ayanokouji's eyes narrowed slightly.
That man had actually called his homeroom teacher.
It seemed he had already confirmed that Ayanokouji was in this school.
'But since he couldn't directly enter this school and take me away, Uncle Matsuo was right.'
'Even Ayanokouji Atsuomi can't reach into this school.'
Matsuo was the butler who had taken care of and managed Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's life when the White Room stopped operating.
For some unknown reason, Butler Matsuo had secretly helped Ayanokouji escape the temporarily closed White Room and enter this school.
"What happened after that?" Ayanokouji asked.
"After that, he asked... no, ordered would be more accurate."
"He ordered Chabashira-sensei to process your withdrawal."
Ayanokouji's heart sank.
Was he going to return to the White Room again?
He still had not understood the true meaning of "equality," nor had he explored what true "ability" really was.
Yuto observed Ayanokouji's faint change in expression.
"You don't need to worry. Chabashira-sensei refused your father's order."
"But you still might be withdrawn."
"After all, your father is Ayanokouji Atsuomi. He can use his own power and connections to force the school into processing your withdrawal."
"...Hah."
Ayanokouji lightly exhaled and sat down on the bench beside Yuto.
"So I'll be withdrawn soon. Is that what you're saying?"
"Yes."
Yuto nodded.
His gaze toward Ayanokouji carried some pity.
"You're going back to the White Room. How do you feel right now?"
"You really know a lot," Ayanokouji said with a soft sigh.
He did not seem surprised that Yuto knew about the organization called the White Room.
When Yuto said Ayanokouji Atsuomi had the ability to withdraw him, Kiyotaka had realized Shimizu Yuto was no ordinary person.
An ordinary person would only treat Ayanokouji Atsuomi as Kiyotaka's ordinary father.
They would not know that Atsuomi had enough connections and ability to force his withdrawal.
Ayanokouji looked at Yuto sitting beside him.
"Based on what I know of my father, he acts quickly and decisively."
"So perhaps I'll be withdrawn tomorrow. I may not be able to do what you asked."
"Don't give up so early."
Yuto smiled.
"Ayanokouji, if I have a way to let you stay in this school, would you choose to stay?"
"Mm?"
Ayanokouji looked at Yuto in surprise.
"Naturally, I would stay. But do you really have that ability?"
"Or do you not understand my father's situation?"
"I don't know much. I only know that your father, Ayanokouji Atsuomi, is a politician capable of shaking national policy."
"No... That means you know too much," Ayanokouji calmly retorted.
Even after knowing his father was a politician, Yuto still dared say those words.
Did that mean Shimizu Yuto really had a way to let him stay?
"I can only say I'll try," Yuto reminded him.
"So don't get your hopes too high. I'm not sure whether that person is willing to help, nor am I sure whether they can help."
"Please, Shimizu-kun. I want to stay. I don't want to return to the White Room yet," Ayanokouji said solemnly.
"Then I'll try."
Yuto gave Ayanokouji a refreshing smile.
"But if you successfully stay in this school, then for the next three years of high school, you need to fully help me raise Class D to Class A."
"..."
Ayanokouji fell silent.
Then he nodded. "I accept this deal."
Yuto's smile grew stronger.
The reason Yuto wanted to help Ayanokouji Kiyotaka was not sympathy or pity.
It was because he valued Ayanokouji's ability.
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka had come out of the White Room. Naturally, there was no need to question his abilities.
No matter the field, Ayanokouji should be quite capable.
And Yuto needed such a powerful helper to help him raise Class D to Class A.
So Yuto was helping Ayanokouji stay in this school not for Ayanokouji's sake, but for his own.
"I'll make a call first. If he agrees, then you may be able to continue staying in this school."
Yuto stood from the bench and walked to the side to call a certain old man who liked taking back chess moves.
"A call, huh? That means the person Shimizu Yuto wants to contact is someone inside this school," Ayanokouji murmured softly.
After all, this school cut off contact with the outside world.
Only people inside the school could be contacted.
"Mm. Or perhaps Shimizu Yuto modified his school phone so it can contact the outside."
Ayanokouji continued guessing.
...
"Hm? Shimizu is contacting me at this hour?"
Chairman Sakayanagi Narumori, who had returned to his home, looked at the caller display on his phone in surprise.
After answering the call, Chairman Sakayanagi teased, "Shimizu, if you're calling to invite me to play chess, I'll refuse at night."
"Who would look for you to play chess in the middle of the night?"
"I'm looking for you about something serious. There's something I want to ask for your help with."
"Of course, it doesn't matter if you're unwilling to help."
Yuto's words made Chairman Sakayanagi's face turn serious.
"Shimizu, you actually have something to ask me. Then this matter must be quite troublesome."
"Mm. It's pretty troublesome."
Yuto glanced at Ayanokouji Kiyotaka and said, "Old man, listen to me. After you finish listening, tell me what you think."
"Okay. Speak."
Yuto told Chairman Sakayanagi everything about Ayanokouji father and son.
"Ayanokouji-sensei has already found him? How fast..." Chairman Sakayanagi sighed.
"Sensei?"
Yuto showed a shocked expression.
"Old man, are you Ayanokouji Atsuomi's student?"
"Yes."
"Shimizu, I already understand what you want to ask me."
"Give your phone to Ayanokouji now. Let me talk to him," Chairman Sakayanagi said gently.
Yuto raised an eyebrow slightly.
It seemed Chairman Sakayanagi had decided to protect Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.
Otherwise, he would not want to talk to Kiyotaka.
"Wait a moment, old man."
Yuto walked toward Ayanokouji, who had been silently waiting, and handed him the phone.
"Mm?"
"Take it. The chairman who can let you continue staying in this school wants to talk to you."
"It's actually this school's chairman. Shimizu-kun, you know someone that impressive?" Ayanokouji said with some surprise.
"Well, it's an ill-fated connection," Yuto said with a disgusted expression.
Ayanokouji took Yuto's phone and began talking with Chairman Sakayanagi.
Although Yuto could not hear their conversation, from Ayanokouji saying, "I want to stay and continue studying here," it seemed Chairman Sakayanagi was confirming Kiyotaka's wishes.
About two minutes passed.
Ayanokouji returned Yuto's phone.
"How did it go?" Yuto asked as he took the phone.
"It seems I can continue staying in this school."
"That chairman said I am a student of this school, and even if my father gives orders or instructions, he will not obey them."
Although Ayanokouji remained expressionless while answering Yuto, his tone carried relief.
Since Chairman Sakayanagi of this school had decided to protect Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, he no longer needed to worry about being forced into withdrawal by his father, Ayanokouji Atsuomi.
…
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