Chapter 165: This School Isn't Meritocratic Enough!
Airi's reply was full of determination and resolve, leaving Yuto with no choice but to smile helplessly.
In truth, Airi was the type with a slender waist and an extremely impressive bust and hips—a full, curvaceous figure.
This kind of body type, whether touching, hugging, or pampering, felt incredibly comfortable.
But only Yuto thought it was wonderful. Airi herself didn't feel that way—because with this body type, her weight had already exceeded sixty kilogram!
Airi had always been afraid that if her figure got fat, Yuto would dislike her, so she had always been controlling her diet. Not to mention midnight snacks—even at dinner, Airi didn't dare eat too much!
Actually, if a girl's weight didn't exceed sixty kilogram, she was either flat-chested or short, and Airi was neither flat-chested nor particularly short, so her weight exceeding sixty kilogram was completely normal.
Although Airi would listen to whatever Yuto said, when it came to matters related to her weight, she wouldn't budge an inch!
While Yuto was chatting sweetly with Airi, Nagumo arrived at the student cafeteria. Following the location Mizowaki had sent him, he soon found Yuto and Mizowaki.
"Good evening, Shimizu-kun."
The overly enthusiastic greeting made Yuto raise his head. Nagumo wore a friendly smile, but there was an unmistakably artificial quality beneath it.
It was nothing more than polite pretense.
Yuto sent Airi a quick [We'll talk later] before putting his phone away. Looking at Nagumo with interest, he said, "Nagumo Miyabi, you invited me to a Wagyu set meal. What exactly did you want to discuss?"
"..."
'Invited you? You extorted it out of me!'
Nagumo and Mizowaki silently cursed him at almost the exact same moment.
"Shimizu-kun, there's no need to rush. Before we get to the main topic, let me explain why I forged those examination papers."
"You forged them because you had a grudge against me and wanted to screw me over. Was there some other reason?" Yuto asked, raising an eyebrow.
That was exactly right.
"No, no, you've misunderstood completely. The forged-paper plan was actually suggested by Ryuen Kakeru. He was the real mastermind," Nagumo said with a perfectly serious expression.
"Then should I call Ryuen over so the two of you can confront each other?"
Could this bastard not cooperate for once?!
Couldn't he simply accept the excuse and move past the subject?
"There's no need to bring Ryuen here. He would obviously deny proposing the plan just to damage the relationship between you and me."
Yuto rolled his eyes. Was Nagumo an idiot, or did he genuinely think Yuto was one? Even a three-year-old wouldn't believe that excuse.
"Fine, fine. Forging the papers to trap me wasn't your idea. It was Ryuen's. Happy now?" Yuto spoke bluntly. "Now just tell me why you wanted to meet. I don't have time to sit here listening to nonsense."
"..."
Mizowaki quietly glanced at Nagumo's subtly twitching face.
Seeing Nagumo get irritated by Yuto's arrogant attitude suddenly brought Mizowaki a strange sense of balance and comfort.
Wonderful. At least he wasn't the only one Yuto could infuriate.
Nagumo suppressed his anger and maintained his smile. "Shimizu-kun, how do you view this school?"
"Hmm?" Yuto raised an eyebrow and casually replied, "It's a pretty good school. As long as you're capable enough, you can even earn your own living expenses through points."
Nagumo's eyes immediately brightened. He nodded in strong agreement. "Exactly. This is a school built around meritocracy. Students with sufficient ability can obtain all kinds of privileges and benefits."
"But Shimizu-kun, don't you think this school still isn't fully meritocratic?"
"Fully... meritocratic?" Yuto gave Nagumo a strange look. "Go on."
"Take you as an example. You challenged nearly every club in the school and defeated them fairly in the very fields they specialized in. That alone proves that your individual ability is exceptional beyond description!"
For once, Nagumo's praise contained no falsehood. He genuinely considered Yuto an absurdly talented individual. Of course, neither Nagumo nor Mizowaki particularly enjoyed admitting that out loud.
Despite the sincere compliment, Yuto showed no sign of pride. "Oh. And?"
His unchanged expression left Nagumo helpless. Was this guy really a high school student? He was far too composed. Nagumo had praised him that openly, yet his expression hadn't changed in the slightest.
"Everyone knows this school initially divides students into classes according to their overall ability. With someone as capable as you, don't you feel it's unfair and unreasonable that you were placed in Class D?"
"Not really. I can accept it," Yuto replied with a shrug.
Nagumo's mouth twitched. He didn't care about that either?
Yuto truly didn't. In fact, he was quite satisfied with having been assigned to Class D. If that hadn't happened, he wouldn't have become classmates with Airi, nor would he have met Kei and Kikyo and eventually started dating them.
"But only students who graduate from Class A can enjoy the school's advertised one-hundred-percent employment and higher-education placement rates!"
"You don't need to worry about that. I already have twenty million personal points. I can transfer to Class A whenever I want."
"..."
Nagumo fell silent. He knew Yuto had earned an enormous number of points by challenging other students, but he hadn't expected him to have already reached twenty million.
Come to think of it... wasn't a large portion of those twenty million originally Nagumo's?
Yes. Across everything that had happened, Nagumo had contributed more than six million personal points to Yuto. Nagumo deserved some credit for how quickly Yuto had reached twenty million~
Taking a deep breath, Nagumo forced those thoughts aside and spoke seriously. "Shimizu-kun, I don't think this school practices true meritocracy at all. The limitation created by 'classes' should be broken!"
"Break the limitation of classes?" Yuto raised an eyebrow. "You mean capable students should be allowed to move directly into Class A without being restrained by their original class?"
"Exactly!" Nagumo answered without hesitation.
"There are many talented students who want to reach Class A and graduate from there, but they're restrained by their class and by class points."
"If they want to become Class A students, they either have to personally accumulate twenty million points or lead their entire class into Class A."
"Both options are far too difficult!"
"So in my opinion, restricting students through the class system doesn't fit the word 'meritocracy' at all! What do you think of my view, Shimizu-kun?"
Nagumo stared at him with burning eyes. Yuto nodded as though he agreed. "It's a good argument. I think it makes sense."
A smile immediately appeared on Nagumo's face. "That's exactly why I've always wanted to become student council president and use that authority to reform the restrictions of this school!"
"I would remove weak, incapable students from Class A and allow talented students to escape the limitations of classes and class points so they could rise to Class A through their own ability!"
"That would be true meritocracy!"
"So help me, Shimizu-kun. Let's achieve that goal together!"
Nagumo excitedly extended the invitation.
Yuto glanced at him before replying slowly, "Wait a second. Does a mere student council president actually have the authority to alter school rules and the S System?"
Class placement and class points were both systems created by the school administration. Nagumo's proposal essentially meant changing the rules established by the school itself. Did the student council president truly possess that kind of authority?
"Of course. At this school, the authority of the student council president can, in certain respects, exceed even that of the administration," Nagumo answered confidently.
"I see. Then let me ask you something else."
"Go ahead!" Nagumo hurriedly replied.
He apparently believed he was close to persuading Yuto, because his attitude had suddenly become considerably friendlier.
Yuto looked at Nagumo. "I heard from Horikita-senpai that you used the student council's authority to push your Class B into Class A, and that more than ten students were expelled along the way. Is that true?"
"Yes," Nagumo replied readily.
There was no point hiding something Yuto could uncover with a little investigation. Besides, Nagumo had no intention of concealing it. He spoke proudly.
"Those people had no ability worth praising. Students like that should leave a school based on meritocracy."
During his first year, Nagumo had used his access through the student council to learn the contents of upcoming special exams and secretly prepare schemes in advance. Through underhanded methods such as slipping laxatives to opponents and setting traps, Nagumo caused students from other classes to suffer and ultimately be expelled.
Afterward, his Class B rose into Class A. It was also when Manabu began realizing that Nagumo was unfit to become student council president. If Nagumo gained control and imposed his ideals, the school would inevitably see a massive increase in expulsions.
"Losing once doesn't mean those expelled students lacked ability," Yuto said.
"One loss is more than enough to prove they lacked ability!" Nagumo answered without hesitation.
"I see."
Yuto gave him a faint, almost mocking smile. "Then according to your own logic, Nagumo Miyabi, you should have already withdrawn from this school."
"W-What?!" Nagumo stared at him in shock.
"You don't understand? Fine, I'll kindly explain it."
Yuto smiled. "Nagumo Miyabi, you lost to me once on the basketball court, and then you lost to me again in the student council. So according to what you just said, losing once is enough to prove someone lacks ability. You've already lost twice. Shouldn't that mean you're unqualified to remain at this meritocratic school and ought to withdraw?"
"..."
Nagumo's expression turned ugly. His mouth opened as he tried to find a rebuttal.
But what could he possibly say?
It was an undeniable fact that he had lost to Yuto. And the statement that a single loss proved someone lacked ability had come directly from Nagumo himself only moments ago. Refuting Yuto now would mean slapping himself in the face!
Yuto chuckled at his darkened expression. "Nagumo, you think you're powerful, so you believe you deserve to stand above everyone else and control their futures. You think it's perfectly reasonable to expel students who lose to you."
"What an unbelievably arrogant way of thinking."
Yuto continued calmly, "But from my perspective, you're the loser. So if you're the one who loses, are you equally willing to accept the punishment you think losers deserve—expulsion?"
"..."
Nagumo was speechless. He wanted to argue that a single defeat didn't mean anything. But that would directly contradict everything he had just said.
Like most people, Nagumo was perfectly willing to accept principles that benefited him and completely unwilling to accept the same principles when they worked against him.
So... other students lost once and deserved expulsion? Perfectly acceptable! Nagumo himself lost and therefore deserved expulsion? Absolutely not!
Yuto had a simple term for people like that—hypocrites with double standards!
Looking at the speechless Nagumo, Yuto scoffed. "Nagumo, this is a school, not hell. There's no need to pursue such an excessively brutal form of meritocracy."
"And we're students, not gu insects, not needing cruel fighting to the last one."
Nagumo and Mizowaki both looked slightly disturbed. What kind of horrifying thing was this guy talking about?!
"Still, I admit some of what you said makes sense." Yuto smiled. "So I'll do exactly as you wish and carry out the idea you just described."
A bad feeling immediately rose inside Nagumo. "Shimizu-kun... what are you planning?"
"What am I planning? Wait a few days and you'll find out." Yuto showed a mysterious smile.
At that moment, a cafeteria employee arrived with the packaged Wagyu set meal. Yuto picked it up and stood.
"Nagumo, I assume you've said everything you wanted to say. So I'll be going now." He smiled brightly. "Thanks for the Wagyu set meal."
…
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