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ArabicClassroom of the Elite: Surviving with the Intel System — Chapter 34
Chapter 34: Bitch, Go to Hell!
Shimizu Akira paid little mind to Horikita Suzune as she deliberately maintained a wide berth between them. His earlier remark had clearly struck a raw nerve.
‘That’s how it is with brother complexes,’ he mused dryly.
The midsummer heat was suffocating. The sun baked the ceramic tiles lining the edge of the pool, radiating a scorching warmth that seeped straight through his swimming trunks. Akira raised a hand, wiping away the persistent layer of sweat beading on his forehead.
‘This heat… I need to find somewhere cool.’
His gaze naturally drifted toward the shimmering expanse of the swimming pool. Thanks to the academy’s advanced temperature control system, the water remained at a perfectly regulated baseline—never boiling under the direct sun, nor freezing in the shaded corners. A few of the more impatient students had already dived in, their splashing and laughter echoing across the chlorinated surface.
Since the physical education instructor had yet to make an appearance, the majority of the class lingered on the deck, clustering into small, gossiping circles.
“Might as well cool off.”
Akira scanned the water, his eyes locking onto the third, completely vacant swimming lane. He stepped up to the edge and dove in.
Meanwhile, across the facility, Kushida Kikyo smoothly detached herself from her circle of friends. She strolled over to where Horikita Suzune stood in total isolation.
“Horikita-san, where did Shimizu-kun go?”
“Is there something wrong with your eyes?” Horikita didn’t even turn her head. “Can’t you even tell males from females?”
“Hehe, it’s just because you two are always inseparable~” Kushida’s saccharine smile didn’t waver a millimeter. “By the way, Horikita-san, how good are you at swimming?”
“…I can manage,” Horikita replied, her tone as inviting as a closed door.
“My swimming grades in middle school were always so unsatisfactory,” Kushida murmured softly, her gaze drifting toward the rippling water with practiced wistfulness. “But after a lot of hard training, I finally managed to improve.”
“If you’re fishing for compliments, go find someone else.”
Kushida offered a gentle, forgiving smile. “You misunderstand, I didn’t mean it like that. Speaking of which, last week when I asked Shimizu-kun if he could swim, he told me he hadn’t practiced much. But look at him now—” She pointed a slender finger toward the third lane. “He just finished the entire length of the pool in just over twenty seconds.”
A sudden roar of commotion erupted from the boys’ side of the pool.
Sudo Ken and Kouenji Rokusuke had aggressively cleared out a corner of the water, each claiming a lane for themselves. Without a word of agreement, they had initiated an impromptu, high-stakes race against Akira.
Whistles and cheers broke out among the onlookers. The previously quiet free-period instantly morphed into a gladiatorial arena. Several other boys shoved at each other’s shoulders, eager to throw themselves into the chaotic competition.
After a brief, loud debate on the deck, the collective gaze of the class fell upon Hirata Yosuke and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.
“It’s decided! You two get in there!” one of the boys shouted.
“They really do have the best physiques for it,” a few girls whispered to each other, giggling behind their hands. “Hirata-kun and Ayanokoji-kun are perfect.”
Hirata offered a warm, accommodating smile. “Well, since everyone insists…”
Ayanokoji remained entirely expressionless, merely offering a faint, noncommittal nod before stepping toward the edge.
“See? The other competitive boys just couldn’t hold back,” Kushida observed, her voice dripping with awe. “Shimizu-kun’s physical talent is truly amazing. It’s enviable, really. He must be the kind of natural genius who takes first place in whatever sport he tries.”
Beneath her sweet exterior, a familiar, ugly knot of jealousy tightened in her chest. Her middle school experiences had taught her a harsh truth: her greatest weapons were neither a dominant physique nor exceptional intellect. Whenever she encountered genuinely gifted peers, that dark, bitter envy always threatened to spill over.
“What were you doing at five-thirty this morning?” Horikita asked abruptly. “Do you have a habit of exercising?”
“At five-thirty?” Kushida blinked, a perfectly crafted mask of confusion settling over her features. “I’d still be sleeping, of course. But on holidays~ I always make sure to run five kilometers.”
Horikita’s sharp gaze bypassed the smiling girl entirely, locking onto the agile figure cutting through the water.
“That person,” Horikita said, her voice dropping to a chilling register, “has been waking up at five-thirty every single day to train since the second day of enrollment. He is on the track at seven sharp to run laps. He told me he has maintained that exact routine for eight years.”
Horikita slowly turned her head. Her eyes met Kushida’s, cold and piercing as ice blades.
“How many consecutive days have you kept up your routine? Occasionally going for a jog on a holiday?” Horikita stepped closer, her presence suffocating. “What right do you have to casually dismiss his blood and sweat as mere ‘talent’? At your current level, you don’t even meet the minimum threshold to discuss physical ability.”
Kushida’s flawless, sweet smile froze. The muscles in her face twitched.
“I-I’m sorry!” She bowed her head hastily, her voice trembling with an unnatural pitch. “I… I was just speaking casually. I absolutely didn’t mean to belittle Shimizu-kun’s efforts!”
Horikita didn’t even bother to blink. She simply took a half-step back, erecting an impenetrable wall of absolute silence between them.
“Horikita-san…” Kushida forced the corners of her mouth upward, her voice strained like a wire about to snap. “Could you tell me… why you’ve always been so unwilling to accept my friendship?”
The humid air between them stagnated. Three seconds passed. Five.
“…I understand.” Kushida’s smile cemented into a lifeless mask. A sliver of pure, unadulterated darkness flashed across her pupils. “Even an explanation is deemed unnecessary. I won’t make a fool of myself any longer. I apologize for bothering you, Horikita-san. I will formally apologize to Shimizu-kun later.”
She turned on her heel, her gaze snapping back to the figure tearing through the pool.
‘This arrogant bitch! How many times have I lowered myself to talk to her?!”Die, die, die! Why doesn’t Horikita Suzune just get struck by lightning and die?!”I let one tiny slip of my true feelings show, and this bitch immediately seizes the chance to humiliate me!’Her fingernails dug into her palms.’Ever since middle school, I’ve always lost in sports to those brawny gorillas. Why the hell should I waste my time grinding away at my weaknesses? Is her brain full of cement?! Thank god I wasn’t in the same class as her back then… it would have been a living nightmare.’A sudden thought pierced her rage.’Wait… could this woman be secretly in love with Shimizu Akira? She defended him so fiercely. She even memorized his exact morning run schedule!”Disgusting stalker! Who would ever like a heavy, gloomy woman like you?!’She maintained her impeccable, angelic posture, watching Akira swim.’And this Shimizu Akira… he must have been faking his results during the last selection, right? He actually chose Kouenji over me!”Those muscles… he claims he trained them? For eight years? Bullshit! Lying to ghosts!”Still… watching him give up his seat to that old lady on the bus… he really does seem genuinely naive.”Simple, good-natured idiots like him… they are the easiest tools to manipulate.”Now that the Horikita route is completely dead, I can only extract information about “that matter” from her by using him as a proxy…’Her eyes darted toward the boys’ side of the pool.’And that Hirata! Acting so popular and perfect! This class only needs one core idol, and that’s ME!”Ahhh… I’m so pissed off! Why does nothing ever go my way?!”Tonight. I’m going to have to “de-stress” properly tonight.’
Kushida Kikyo lifted a delicate finger, resting it gently against her chin. In a fraction of a second, the venomous gloom swirling in her eyes vanished without a single trace.
She broke into a radiant, spring-like smile. Cupping her hands around her mouth, she leaned toward the water and shouted in her sweetest, most melodic voice.
“Shimizu-kun—you can do it!”