CHAPTER 30 - Enemy Number 1. Part 1.
My name is Saik, and I'm an ordinary student at an ordinary school with ordinary students… Well, I guess it's not that ordinary, considering the school expels anyone who fails a single exam, and the students are just as weird as the school itself.
At least I'm a regular guy like any other… Okay, yeah, I can see ghosts, control legendary ghosts, and saved the world in the past, but I consider myself a normal person.
Since my parents' death, all I've wanted is a normal school life and to be the best student to honor my mother's memory. That's all I want and care about. I'm not interested in making friends or wasting time "having fun" with them. All I want is to sleep, eat, and study. To have a peaceful, trouble-free school life… But some people won't let me enjoy it.
Saoto, the class president, doesn't like how I earn points, and I don't doubt he'll try something to stop me.
Ram doesn't bother me as much as Saoto. I think she's realized I'm not the type to obey others. She just wants to surpass me, but she's better than me. I only outrank her because I cheated on the entrance exam.
And the student council. I didn't take them seriously at first—I thought they were just people organizing events and managing clubs. But I found out they control the second- and third-year students. Since I expelled a third-year and humiliated their vice president, they see me as their enemy. I have a theory that second- and third-years obey the council because they guarantee they won't be expelled or drop from the top groups, A and B. I still need to investigate more about that.
Right now, I'm about to send a message to the student council and show them what I'm capable of.
"B-By the way, Saik, w-would you like to grab something to eat? I-It's my turn to treat you for the food you bought me! A-And we can have some cake to celebrate your birthday."
I'd planned to go to the movies with Yuki. I'll check with her later.
"Accept, Saik! Make a move with her!"
Well, Yuki's on board.
"I was planning to catch a movie. Wanna come, Sylphie?"
"O-Of course!"
This way, Yuki won't feel left out since she'll join us. She's a ghost, so she doesn't need to pay.
"I gotta wash my hands. Wait for me, Sylphie."
"S-Sure."
I entered the men's bathroom… and Yuki followed me.
"Yuki, get out—I'm gonna pee."
"A-Ah! S-Sure!"
Yuki left, and I sighed. Good… Only one person's in here, using the stall. Brave to do that at school.
Anyway, let's make this quick.
I wrote the number 4 on my palm.
"Ghost number 4. Ghost of bad luck. Come."
The small ghost appeared beside me and started laughing.
"Fufu. Who do I need to kill now?"
"I want you to do the following."
•
•
After telling her what to do, I left the bathroom.
"Thanks for waiting."
"No problem."
I chatted with Sylphie as we walked toward our target.
It's nice talking to her. She's adorable and sweet. At least she's not a headache. I like talking to her, but not as much as I enjoy sleeping and being alone.
"Alright, we're here."
Class 3-A. I've got the perfect guy.
3-A students are smart, the best of the third-years. Classes are over, but I don't doubt that guy's still here.
"A-Are you sure, Saik?"
"I did some prior research, don't worry… By the way, Sylphie, can you do me a favor?"
"Of course."
I need to make sure I get paid.
•
•
I entered the classroom with Sylphie.
Sylphie's clinging to me, but I guess she's nervous.
Yeah, there are about five students here. The vice president is talking to two girls. The president's here, reading, but she stopped when she saw me walk in. Well, well. She's smiling. Did she suspect I'd do this?
Doesn't matter. I'm here for the fifth student. That huge guy with strong arms.
Yuki told me to defend some kids that guy was beating up, but I refused—I didn't want unnecessary trouble. But now I'm interested.
Yuki told me what she knew about him so I could take him down, but I refused, though thanks to that, I found his weakness.
I approached the vice president, and his furious eyes met mine.
"Hey, vice president, it's me, the guy who scored five goals on you while you couldn't score any. I won 5,803 points from you. Oh, and I'm also the one who'll get you expelled."
He stepped closer, and Sylphie hid behind me.
"Here to expel me already, Saik? How do you plan to do that?"
"For now, I just came to mock you in front of those two girls. Oh, and I'm here to talk to someone more interesting than you."
I approached the guy, who's admiring his muscles in a small mirror. A guy proud of his strength and body.
I sat on his desk and patted his head.
"Hey, can I ask you something?"
"Get lost, idiot."
"It's about a sweet little girl named Anna. She's in the hospital because someone beat her up."
Hearing that froze him for a few seconds. Just what I expected.
"You…"
He stopped looking in the mirror and stared at me. He's keeping a calm face, but he's nervous and furious inside.
"What do you want to ask?"
"First, listen to this."
I leaned close to his ear and whispered.
"Please, stop, I won't try to steal from you again. I just wanted a lollipop."
"H-How do you know that?"
"Beating a little girl just because she took a lollipop. A lollipop you left on a bench. You did it on purpose to beat whoever took it, right? You threatened to kill her parents if she didn't go with you, took her to an alley, and beat her brutally until she was unconscious. How do I know? Because I was there and recorded what you did."
I stepped back and pulled out my phone.
"Alright, the question is: Wanna bet with me? The only condition is we bet until one of us loses all their points. If you don't want me to post the video online, you'll accept. I'm listening."
"Fine, I'll do it! But if I win, you delete that damn video!"
"Of course, but I won't mention that in the recording, you know, to avoid anyone investigating the video."
"Tch. Fine, I accept."
I started recording an audio.
"I, Saik, student of Class 1-B, agree to bet all my points in a card game. The rules are as follows: Each player gets 9 cards. The winner is the one who plays all their cards and has 10 cards at the end. We'll play with sets and runs."
"I, Kirimo, student of Class 3-A, agree to bet my points with Saik and accept the game's rules."
I stopped the recording and pulled the cards from my pocket.
"Fufu. Seriously? You think I'll let you bet?"
The president approached us. I'm not worried—I've got this guy in the palm of my hand.
"Well, Kirimo, the president stopped us. You lost your chance."
"Shut up, that bitch isn't my boss! Deal the damn cards, and let's play!"
I looked the president in the eyes.
"You can't stop us, and you know it."
"Well, well. Interesting. I want to see the outcome," she said, smiling.
I offered the cards to Kirimo.
"You can check and deal them to make sure I'm not cheating."
"Perfect."
He took them, and I sat in a chair across from him.
I can feel Sylphie's worry.
I turned to her.
"Don't worry, I'll win… I guess."
"Y-You guess?"
"Don't worry and trust me."
The vice president approached Kirimo and whispered in his ear. In response, Kirimo stood up and grabbed him by the neck.
Oh, so aggressive.
"I won't stop! You're not my boss! I'll do what I want!"
He shoved the vice president, and I looked at him. He glared at me furiously, and I just nodded.
"I've got 23,225 points. I'm betting all of them."
"I accept the bet."
"S-Saik, why not start with half?!"
"That wouldn't be fun, would it, Kirimo?"
"Heh. You're a pain, but I'll admit you've got guts, Saik. Let's start!"
He dealt the cards. 9 cards each.
"I assume you know the game, right?"
"I'm not an idiot."
He played a card, and I did the same.
"Looks like it."
We traded cards.
I've got a set, and thanks to that card, I've got a complete run.
Sylphie and the president are surprised—I can sense it.
The vice president is behind Kirimo, watching his game, smiling.
I think he's got a good hand too.
I glanced at my right palm, with the number 83 written on it.
Legendary ghost number 83. Ghost of good luck. You didn't fail me.
"You can start."
He drew a card and placed it on the table.
"No good."
A 4 of hearts.
"It works for me. I win."
"Huh?"
I laid all my cards on the table. A set of 2s and a run of hearts. I won.
"H-How?!"
"I didn't cheat—you shuffled and dealt the cards. I just got lucky. Pay up."
"This can't be happening! Damn it!!"
He flipped the table and grabbed me by the neck, trying to threaten me.
"S-Saik!"
"You cheated!"
I sighed and punched him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. I kicked his legs, and he fell to the floor.
"Violence isn't necessary. Please pay me, and let's keep playing. We'll play until one of us is out of points."
"This can't be happening!! I refuse to accept it!!"
"Want me to post the video?"
"Ahhhh!! You'll regret this!! You'll regret it!!"
Yeah, I've got him right where I want him.
•
•
"Final set. I win."
"This… this can't be happening."
"Pay up."
Alright, that was his second and last chance, but he didn't win. I did.
"I refuse."
"You can't refuse. You bet."
"I won't pay! I said I'd bet my points, but not all of them! You can't prove I agreed to bet all my points!"
"Ah… I'd say I have witnesses, but the president and vice president would probably back you. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Let's go, Sylphie."
I got up from my seat and exchanged glances with the president.
"You got lucky this time."
"You're weird, you know that?"
"Yeah, I know."
Sylphie and I left the classroom, and she let out a long sigh.
"T-That was close. W-Was my acting good?"
"Yeah, I don't think they suspect anything. Thanks a lot for the help, Sylphie."
She pulled her phone from between her tucked-in blouse and skirt. She hid it there for a reason.
"I managed to record everything, Saik. It was a good idea to hide my phone in my skirt."
"It was likely this would happen. Hmm… Should we get another protection point, or take the points for the class?"
"It's your call… But… Now that you've got the student council as enemies, I think a protection point would be better."
"Yeah… You're right. Thanks, Sylphie."
We reached the teachers' lounge and walked in. Our teacher is talking to another woman. I hope we're not interrupting.
We approached her.
"Excuse me, professor, we need to talk to you about something important."
"Important?"
"We want you to see something."
•
•
Sylphie and I left the school together. We did it.
"73,622 points. No wonder that guy was in Class A. He had a lot of points. But now they're mine."
"D-Definitely, we'll take first place. W-What you did is impossible to achieve again, Saik!"
"Only an idiot would mess with someone from Class 3-A… And I was that idiot. But what sets me apart from other idiots is that I know exactly how to avoid losing to them… Alright, let's hit the movies."
"L-Let's go!"
•
•
(Pov - Ram.)
I decided to stay at school a bit longer and think with my team about how to earn points. We tried to come up with other options, but realistically, the only way to surpass Saik is by betting with other students. But I'm not dumb enough to do that. There's no guarantee we'd win, and in the worst case, we'd lose points and drop from our second-place spot.
That option's off the table.
"Do we settle for second place?"
"It's for the best. We have to accept what we've got. We can't take risks. Saik's results, as much as I hate to admit it, are incredible. Saik is… just a phenomenon… I'm heading home."
I got up from my seat, ready to leave.
"Saik!!! You lying son of a bitch!!! I'll find you and kill you!!!"
…I'm not surprised someone wants to kill him. What's going on?
The shouting's coming from outside.
I looked out the window. Police are arresting a student. This is more serious than I thought.
"What trouble did that idiot get into now?"
"That 'idiot' helped get a psychopath arrested."
"A psychopath?"
The teacher entered the classroom and approached us.
"Saik overheard that guy bragging about what he did to a little girl. He used that information to force him to bet and expel him."
"He expelled him?"
"And managed to triple his total points."
I sighed. Yeah, it's definitely impossible to beat him.
"Thanks to what he overheard, the principal called the police. The girl woke up from her coma a few minutes ago and described her attacker, and it matches him."
"Disgusting pedophile."
"He didn't rape her. He beat her into a coma… Well, both are equally twisted."
Saik helped catch him, but he took advantage of the situation to earn points and expel a student before the school could when they found out what he did. Should I see him as good or bad? I guess neutral.
I'd have done the same in his position.
"Saik's the first student in years I find interesting. I wonder how far he'll go in this school."
"Yeah… I'm wondering the same."
Will I ever be on his level? I don't know. But that doesn't mean I'll give up easily. I'll work hard to catch up and be his equal.
"By the way, did Saik choose another protection point?"
"Yes."
Well, I don't blame him. From what I heard, the student council has him in their sights. He's worried about his safety.
The student council vs. Saik. Given the situation and Saik's personality, I'd say he has a 40% chance of winning. If the rumors about the president are true, it's hard for me to imagine Saik beating her.
But don't worry, Saik, I'll be rooting for you. After all, I still want to see you achieve more in this school.
•
•
(Pov - Sylphie.)
W-Well… H-Here we are, at the movies… W-With Saik. My heart's racing so fast, I feel like it's going to explode.
Just him and me. Together. At the movies… A guy and a girl… C-Can I call this a date? I-I guess so. It meets the requirements… No! Sylphie, you're here to celebrate your friend's birthday! Don't take advantage of the situation!
"W-Which one do you wanna see, Saik?"
"Hmm… Only two movies have good reviews. A horror one and a romantic one, huh? Hmm… No, the horror one seems too cliché. Do you like romantic movies, Sylphie?"
I-I love them! B-But I don't want to sway his decision too much.
"Y-Yes, I like them. I like both genres equally."
"I see… Well, I don't know much about romance and stuff. I've never had a girlfriend and stayed away when my parents showed their love. I haven't read any romantic novels or watched romantic movies either… I think I'll give it a shot. Wanna watch that romantic movie?"
W-Watch a romantic movie with you?! Of course I do!
"S-Sure! T-They say that movie makes people cry."
"Cry, huh? Guess it's sad. Let's go."
We each bought our own tickets. He wanted to pay for mine, but I refused. I can't keep accepting free stuff.
"Would you like to order the couple's combo?"
C-Couple?! Does she think we're a couple?!
…D-Do we look like one?
No, Sylphie, remember your mom's advice—you need to get to know him better! It's impossible to fall for someone this fast!
"Yes, please."
He bought it?!
The employee walked off to prepare our order, and Saik turned to me.
"We saved some money with that combo. Hope I didn't make you uncomfortable."
I shook my head immediately.
I-I wasn't uncomfortable—on the contrary, it made me happy… Why don't you ever learn, Sylphie?! You need to get to know him better!!
"N-No worries."
He looked around and lowered his gaze.
"Something wrong?"
He started combing his hair. H-He's combing his hair.
W-What?
"Done."
He looked up, and my heart raced even faster.
"Sorry, Sylphie, I was probably making you uncomfortable. People stare at me because of my hair, and I didn't want to embarrass you."
"N-No, I'm not embarrassed! Y-You look great with messy hair."
After all, his messy hair is part of his charm. But I don't dislike combed Saik! He's so cute! As a woman, I think he's handsome! His arms are so strong—I wish those strong arms would hug me! That he'd tilt my chin and bring his lips to mine… No!! Sylphie, don't let your teenage hormones spiral out of control!
Sylphie, you need to control yourself! You'll make him uncomfortable!
B-Besides, you like Saik for his personality, not his looks… You don't like him, Sylphie, you barely know him!!
Ahhhh! I don't even know how I feel!
"Here's your… c-combo."
Even the employee knows Saik's cute—she can't take her eyes off him.
"Thank you, miss."
He paid, and we took the food.
"I'll pay you back at the cafeteria."
"Sure, no problem. Ah, I don't like being combed. Since my hair's long, I have to comb it to keep it from covering my eyes again. At least I'll see the movie perfectly."
We entered the theater and sat in our seats, t-together.
I-I'm so close to Saik. A-And he smells so good. Sylphie, you're acting like a pervert! Don't sniff him! Ah, I can't help it, his scent's going up my nose! What do you want?! For me to stop breathing?!
"Hey, Sylphie, I'll give you 10,000 points."
"…Huh?"
"And a protection point. To keep you from being expelled."
"I-I can't accept them!"
"It's not a gift—it's payment. If you accept, you'll help me when I need it. You know, when I need advice from a woman or help expelling someone."
Does Saik think I won't help him in the future? That'd be impossible!
"W-We're friends! Friends help each other! You don't need to give me points to convince me to help you."
"Please, take the points. You have the fewest points. I don't want you to get expelled. You're a huge help to me. A great friend… And my first friend. Please, take the points."
I'm… his first friend. He trusts me so much, even though he barely knows me… I have to return that trust!
"Y-Yes… A-Alright. T-Thank you so much, Saik."
We both pulled out our phones, and I received the points.
"You went from having the fewest points to the second-most. Wow. Being my friend has its perks, huh, Sylphie?"
"T-Thank you so much for the points and the protection point. I promise to be super helpful!"
"Thanks, Sylphie."
I looked into Saik's eyes. His face is still expressionless, but he's still cute.
Cute, awesome, kind, smart, and gentlemanly. The full package.
Me, on the other hand… I'm just a shy girl. I'm not smart, not that pretty… I'm nothing.
We're so different… Different… That makes me sad. It feels like my chances of developing something more than friendship with him are shrinking. There are better girls than me at school.
"I really appreciate having someone trustworthy like you, Sylphie. It's hard for me to trust others, but I feel like I can trust you. Thanks for considering me your friend."
I… have his trust? He really trusts me that much?
"But… you barely know me. Why would you trust me so much?"
"You don't need much time to know a person. I know you're kind and have a good heart, Sylphie. That's why I trust you."
"…T-Thank you, Saik."
"Ah, the movie's starting. Hope it's good."
"Yeah… I hope so too."
You don't need much time to know a person, huh?
Yeah… I guess you're right.
It's too soon to call it a crush, but I can confirm how I feel.
I like Saik… I like him a lot.