Classroom of the Elite: Alter - Self-Test

"Then, I'll go ahead near the place for the basketball club. See you tomorrow, if not later, Ayanokouji." Sudou waved at me.

The reception area will be opened a bit later, but I guess Sudou wanted to camp near them to register early.

"Yeah, sure. Good luck," I responded.

"Alright. You too, Horikita." Sudou waved at Horikita before turning around to run.

"Don't get into fights, Sudou-kun. Yo-" I swiftly put my hands in front of Horikita. When she looked at me in confusion, I just shook my head in response.

"I won't!" Sudou yelled without looking back.

"You're lucky Sudou was too excited for the basketball club. Your unwarranted comment would've pissed him off," I told her.

"I was just reminding him-"

"You didn't have to," I interrupted, looking into her eyes.

I didn't have to explain anything. Given how sharp she is, Horikita should get what my eyes were saying. "I know him more than you do.", "You don't get to tell him what to do either." I didn't know if my tone was harsh, but I felt like I didn't need to sugarcoat things too much when I was with Horikita.

"I see... I'm sorry..." This was a first. I expected her to apologize with a defiant tone. But in stark contrast to my expectations, Horikita looked genuinely apologetic. Now I'm obligated to give her an explanation or else, I'll feel bad.

"I know more than anyone just how much Sudou can damage the class if he gets out of control. I'm doing everything I can to prevent any of that from happening. Don't say nor do anything unnecessary or you'll just get in my way," I scolded-- kind of.

"So the reason you're... Just who are you...?" Horikita muttered, perplexed.

Right now, Horikita probably concluded that I'm trying to "fix" Sudou under the guise of being friends. I really do want to make friends with him, you know?

I walked forward before talking once more. "Anyway, there are more people here than I expected."

Nearly all of the students assembled there were freshmen. There were about a hundred people waiting around. We stood near the back of the room and waited for the fair to begin. While waiting, we glanced over the pamphlet that students received upon entering the gymnasium. The pamphlet contained detailed information about club activities.

"I wonder if this school has famous clubs. For example, something like karate," mused Horikita.

"As expected, every club seems to operate on a high level." I started scrutinizing the fair around us.

Of course, this school couldn't be a top-tier institution for every sport. I can see that clearly.

"The equipment here is luxurious, it puts professionals' stuff to shame. Oh, but it looks like they don't have a karate club, after all," says Horikita.

"Were you interested in karate, Horikita?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Not really. I just studied it a long time ago," replied Horikita.

The way she says that... Horikita's words were suited for someone who was actually excited about the karate club. The tone and content of her speech don't add up sometimes.

"Thank you all for waiting, first-year students. We will now begin the club fair. A representative from each club will explain their function. My name is Tachibana, the student council secretary, and the club fair's organizer. It's nice to meet you all," announced the petite third-year named Tachibana.

Representatives from each club quickly lined up on a stage. It was quite a diverse crowd. The club representative included everything from burly athletes in judo uniforms to students dressed in beautiful kimonos.

"What did you even want to check out in here, Ayanokouji-kun? Don't you think this is just a waste of time?" complained Horikita.

"You're probably right. This is just a show to get as many new members, anyway. Even I can feel the lack of passion, not from the ones on stage, but from the audience. And it looks like the club representatives couldn't care less as long as they succeed in advertising," I replied.

"More members means more budget, which leads to better equipment. That's just the way it is," added Horikita.

"The so-called 'phantom members', huh?"

I turned to leave but Horikita remained in place.

"Horikita?" It was as if she couldn't hear me at all. She kept staring intensely at the stage.

At first, I thought she was focused on the baseball club's speech, but they were just the same as the others. And then, I realized whom Horikita was looking at after her gaze remained unchanged as the representatives of the baseball club walked off-stage.

A slender person with sleek black hair stood in front of the microphone. Wearing his glasses, he stared at the crowd with a seemingly piercing and calculating gaze. He calmly scanned the venue and looked at the first-year students. To everyone's surprise, he didn't start talking after doing so.

The voices of the audience started to grow. Some of them even made fun of him. The crowd laughed, but the student wasn't fazed at all. Then, the laughter died. He continued staring at the spectators with an apathetic expression that resembled someone. Meanwhile, Horikita's fervent gaze didn't change for even a second.

After thirty seconds or so, he finally spoke.

"I'm the student council president. My name is Horikita Manabu," he said.

Ah. Now things make a lot of sense.

"The student council is looking to recruit potential candidates among the first-year students to replace the graduating third years. Although no special qualifications are required for candidacy, we humbly ask that those considering applications not be involved in other club activities. We generally do not accept students involved elsewhere." His tone was soft, but the atmosphere he created was too thick and heavy.

Consistent silence conquered the entire gymnasium.

"Furthermore, we in the student council do not wish to appoint anyone who possesses a naive outlook. Not only would such a person not be elected, but he or she would also sully the sanctity of this school. It is the student council's right and duty to enforce and amend the rules, but the school expects more than that. We gladly welcome those of you who understand this." he continued.

Horikita Manabu's speech was very eloquent. He finished his piece without stopping or stuttering. One can clearly get the impression that he is the one who's at the top of this school.

But, I wonder if I should run for the student council. My goal is to utilize my abilities, but I don't have anything concrete in mind other than reaching Class A. Hmm, I should think about this.

"Thank you all for coming. The club fair has ended. We will now open the reception area to anyone interested in signing up. Also, registration will be open until the end of April, so if any student wishes to join at a later date, we ask that you please bring the application form directly to the club you wish to join." Thanks to Tachibana's laid-back tone, the tension in the air dissipated immediately.

"..." Horikita, however, wasn't budging in the least.

"Do you want to talk to him?" I asked.

"What?" Oh, she finally responded.

"Correct me if I'm wrong but... Horikita Manabu is your brother, right?" It would be embarrassing if I turned out to be wrong, though.

"Y-Yeah... He is..." Her tone was as strong as ever, but the volume and flow were lacking.

"Well, why don't you chase after him? Do you want me to come with you, or should I just wait here?" I suggested some options.

To be honest, I'm kind of curious about the student council president himself.

"No... I think... I'll just find him next time. He must be busy as the student council president," Horikita replied, averting her eyes.

That might be the case.

I wonder what their relationship is like, though. With the way her brother delivered himself, surely, he isn't fond of Horikita's placement in Class D.

"Alright, come with me then. We'll head to the teachers' faculty," I said, to which Horikita nodded in response.

Since she didn't ask why nor object to the idea, she might have some personal business there as well.