Classroom of the Elite: Standing Firm in Class A — Chapter 93

Chapter 93: The Pragmatist in the Tree

After exchanging a few final, hollow pleasantries with Hirata Yosuke, Kaedehara Tetsu slipped away from the main group. He handled the uneven terrain, heading alone toward the massive, sprawling tree at the edge of the clearing.

His footsteps crushed the dry grass, a faint rustling that immediately caught the attention of the solitary figure sitting in the shade. Ibuki Mio lifted her head. For a split second, her eyes carried the dull annoyance of someone expecting yet another naive Class D student coming to preach about teamwork and friendship. But the moment she recognized Tetsu, that annoyance sharpened into razor-thin hostility. Her posture stiffened, every muscle coiling defensively.

“Why are you here?” Mio demanded, her voice dripping with undisguised wariness.

Tetsu didn’t answer immediately. He closed the distance and crouched down in front of her, smoothly bringing his line of sight level with her fierce glare. “That is a question I should be asking you, wildcat,” he murmured, his tone laced with dry amusement. “You aren’t planning on doing something to help Ryuen, are you?”

“Hah?” Mio scoffed, her upper lip curling. “What kind of bullshit are you spouting, you pervert? I was kicked out.” Her tone flared with genuine heat. “You expect me to help that bastard? What a joke.”

Her reaction was a picture-perfect display of grievance. Raw anger was written plainly across her delicate features. Her fists were clenched so tightly her knuckles turned white, and her slender frame trembled with what looked like a deep, festering grudge against the tyrant of Class C.

“Is that so…” Tetsu nodded slowly, his dark eyes studying her face. “However, isn’t that the textbook setup for an undercover agent? Exiled on the surface, but actually carrying out a covert mission behind enemy lines.”

Mio’s expression twisted into something downright ugly. She glared daggers at him, her voice cracking with indignation. “You… you actually think I’m that kind of person? I would never stoop to such low-life tactics!”

“Fine, fine. If you say so,” Tetsu replied, his voice maddeningly placid.

“I said I’m not! Believe whatever the hell you want!”

Seeing her dig her heels in with such definitive denial, Tetsu decided not to press the issue further. The seed was planted. “Then let’s leave it at that.”

He stood up, brushing a stray leaf from his trousers, and turned back toward the main path. He didn’t offer another word.

“You’re just leaving like this?” Mio called out to his retreating back, a flicker of uncertainty breaking through her tough facade. “You’re not going to ask anything else?”

Tetsu paused, glancing over his shoulder. “What else is there to ask?”

She hesitated, biting her lower lip. “For example… what kind of scheme that guy is actually up to?”

He fully turned around, a faint, knowing smile playing on his lips. “Oh? Are you willing to talk about it?”

Mio averted her gaze, her teeth digging harder into her lip. “Forget it. Why should I tell you anything?”

“Then that settles it,” Tetsu said smoothly. “If you change your mind, you know where to find me.”

Without waiting for a retort, he resumed his walk, leaving her alone in the shade. Mio watched his receding back, the tangled knot of frustration and suspicion in her chest growing only tighter.

Tetsu strolled leisurely along the dirt path, mentally dissecting the brief exchange. Mio’s acting was commendable, but the cracks in her foundation were already visible to anyone who knew where to look.

As he handled a dense patch of foliage, a familiar, crisp voice broke his train of thought.

“Kaedehara-kun… why are you here?”

He looked up to see Horikita Suzune emerging from a narrow side trail. She stood tall, but the illusion of strength was fragile. Her usually pristine complexion was uncharacteristically pale, and a fine sheen of cold sweat clung to her forehead, matting a few strands of her dark hair.

“I came to observe Class D’s situation,” Tetsu answered easily, his gaze sweeping over her tense posture. “And, incidentally, to gather some reference data on how you’re handling your supply purchases. What about you, Horikita? How is your health holding up?”

Suzune’s body went rigid. A microscopic flash of shock betrayed her usually stoic eyes.

‘He noticed? I was being so careful…’

The thought practically broadcasted itself across her features before she violently wrestled her expression back into a mask of icy composure. “Thank you for your concern, but it is entirely misplaced,” she replied, her tone clipped and defensive. “My health is perfectly fine.”

Tetsu observed her forced bravado and sighed inwardly. This girl, much like the wildcat he had just left behind, belonged to a stubborn breed that would rather choke on their own pride than admit weakness. Her physical condition was deteriorating rapidly, yet she refused to yield an inch.

Deciding not to shatter her fragile ego just yet, Tetsu let the matter drop. “That is good to hear. Just ensure you get enough rest.”

“I will,” Suzune answered stiffly.

They exchanged a few more hollow words before parting ways. Suzune forced her heavy legs to carry her toward the Class D camp, while Tetsu altered his trajectory, heading back to his own territory.

The rugged outline of Class A’s cave campsite gradually materialized through the dense canopy. As Tetsu approached the perimeter, a series of strange, rustling noises drifted down from the foliage overhead.

He stopped, tilting his head back.

Perched precariously on a thick branch about two meters above the ground was Morishita Ai. She was stretching her arm out with agonizing slowness, her fingers inching toward a hidden spot in the leaves. Her movements were incredibly delicate, as if terrified of startling whatever lay hidden in the greenery.

“What exactly are you doing up in a tree?” Tetsu asked, his voice cutting through the quiet woods.

Ai paused, peering down through the leaves. “Kaedehara Tetsu?” she blinked, her tone entirely unbothered by being caught. “I am observing some bird eggs.”

She pointed a slender finger toward a small, woven nest wedged tightly between two intersecting branches. A rare spark of excitement bled into her usually eccentric voice. “I just discovered this nest. There are three eggs inside!”

Tetsu squinted, assessing the small prize. “Since you have already found them, you might as well bring them down. We can boil them back at the camp. It will be a perfect source of protein.”

Ai gasped, her eyes widening in exaggerated horror. “How could you suggest such a thing? That is far too cruel! These little lives have not even hatched yet!” She hovered her hands defensively over the nest, guarding it like a dragon hoarding gold. “I merely wished to admire them. I could never hurt them!”

Tetsu shook his head, thoroughly unimpressed by her sudden burst of maternal instinct. “In a wilderness survival exam, any obtainable food source is a precious commodity. Morality doesn’t fill stomachs.”

“But—”

Ai started to protest, only to be cut off by a piercing, furious shriek echoing through the canopy. A sleek, black bird darted through the trees, zeroing in on the branch. The mother had returned.

Seeing a human looming over her unhatched brood, the bird went completely berserk. It circled the branch in a tight, frantic loop before tucking its wings and dive-bombing straight at the intruder.

Ai let out a startled yelp as the avian defender aimed its sharp beak directly at her scalp. She hurriedly threw one arm over her head for protection, wildly swatting the air with her free hand to fend off the aggressive assault.

“Go away! Shoo! I am not going to hurt your babies!” she cried out.

Unsurprisingly, the furious mother bird did not speak Japanese. The assault only intensified. The rapid beating of its wings whipped the air, creating an angry, whooshing flurry of feathers and talons. Ai attempted to snatch the creature out of midair, but its agile frame made a mockery of her clumsy grabs. Every time her fingers brushed its feathers, the bird would bank sharply, dodging the strike before launching a fresh, relentless dive.

“Fine, fine! I surrender!” Ai finally yelled, abandoning her defense.

She hastily patted the nest to ensure it was secure, then scrambled down the rough trunk with surprising speed. Seeing the giant predator retreat from its home, the mother bird ceased its dive-bombing. Its aggression cooled, though it continued to circle the high branches, keeping a vigilant, beady eye on the humans below.

Ai dropped the last meter to the ground, landing with a soft thud. She immediately began smoothing down her disheveled hair and dusting off her uniform. Her cheeks were flushed a faint pink from the chaotic skirmish, and her chest heaved with rapid breaths.

“However…” she began, her breathless panting suddenly vanishing.

A sly, triumphant grin spread across her face as she reached into her pocket. Slowly, she withdrew three small, speckled, oval-shaped objects. “I still managed to confiscate the eggs.”

Tetsu stared at the stolen loot resting in her palm, an amused smirk tugging at his lips. “It seems you are quite the ruthless pragmatist after all.”

“Hmph. This is called being flexible,” Ai declared, proudly shaking the eggs in her hand like trophies of war. “Since that bird insisted on being so fiercely inhospitable, I decided not to stand on ceremony. These will be absolutely perfect for replenishing our protein back at the camp!”