*What kind of person is Kusuo?*
Tsukishiro watched Kusuo intently from behind a tree.
Though Kiyotaka had told him to maintain his position, Tsukishiro's curiosity about Kusuo grew.
How could someone so ordinary enter this school?
This made Tsukishiro link Kusuo to Kiyotaka.
Perhaps Kusuo held many secrets—secrets even Kiyotaka might not know.
*Kusuo, who the hell are you... Wait, is he coming this way? Did he notice me?*
Tsukishiro realized Kusuo was walking toward him, confused.
Kusuo, meanwhile, prepared to confront Tsukishiro directly.
In the past, Kusuo would've avoided attention. But after a year at this school, he knew inaction would only bring trouble.
Especially with someone like Tsukishiro, who already suspected Kusuo's uniqueness. Not investigating would be impossible.
In a way, Tsukishiro was targeting him. Hiding wouldn't help, so Kusuo decided to face him and see what he wanted.
Tsukishiro stepped out from behind the tree, looking at Kusuo.
"Uh, excuse me. Which way to the staff office?"
He asked, feigning ignorance.
*He shouldn't have noticed me. I hid my presence. If he's a normal student...*
"You've been following me. What do you want?"
Kusuo asked, already knowing the answer.
*Did he notice?! How?! Or is he bluffing?*
Tsukishiro's eyebrows twitched, confused. He quickly smiled and asked,
"Sorry, I don't know what you mean. I'm new staff, just a bit lost..."
"I know you've been following me. And you sent that text, right?"
"I don't know..."
"Then show me your phone."
Tsukishiro's expression turned serious at Kusuo's words.
*This guy's so sharp... Not simple at all...*
*Telepathy told me, but you could call it insight.*
Kusuo thought.
After a year, Kusuo had a new strategy to hide his powers: reveal partial "illusions" to show he was special without exposing his abilities.
This might increase attention slightly, but it prevented his powers from being fully discovered.
*This guy's testing me. If I don't show something, he'll keep bothering me. Might as well give him a taste.*
Kusuo thought, then said,
"If I'm right, you're the new chairman. Your real target isn't me, but someone else."
Tsukishiro now saw Kusuo as someone not to be ignored.
*This guy's insight is incredible. When did I slip up? I didn't even notice... Strange...*
*But what about his combat skills? Should I test him here? No cameras around...*
Tsukishiro's gaze moved to Kusuo's throat. At this distance, he could grab Kusuo's neck instantly—
But Kusuo already knew his thoughts.
*Go ahead and try.*
Kusuo calmly watched Tsukishiro.
As Tsukishiro prepared to act, his phone rang.
He took it out, saw the caller, and his face changed. He quickly answered,
"Mr. Ayanokōji..."
"Don't act recklessly, especially with that student, Kusuo. Don't do anything to harm him!"
Kiyotaka's voice trembled slightly, hinting at fear.
*What? A coincidence? Why now? And why does Mr. Ayanokōji sound... panicked?*
Tsukishiro was confused:
"Mr. Ayanokōji... What's going on?"
"Shut up and listen! Your only goal is to bring Kiyotaka back. Don't act on anything else! Understand?!"
Kiyotaka's stern voice came through.
*What's happening? Why is Mr. Ayanokōji reacting like this?*
Tsukishiro's confusion deepened, but he had no answers. He ended the call and glanced at Kusuo.
*Who is this guy...?*
Tsukishiro swallowed, then quickly left.
*Huh?*
Kusuo stood there, confused.
He'd heard Kiyotaka's voice too.
But what just happened?
*Unless...*
An idea formed in Kusuo's mind.
---
"That was quite the performance, Mr. Ayanokōji."
In the White Room's secret base, a screen displayed a boy slightly older than Kusuo, smiling at Kiyotaka.
Kiyotaka sweated, his panic undeniable.
As a political veteran, he knew not to show emotions. But with this boy, he couldn't hide it.
Kūsuke, Kusuo's brother. Kiyotaka had just learned his name.
Unlike Kusuo, Kūsuke had no powers—but his intelligence was terrifying.
Originally, he'd given up after never beating Kusuo and transferred to Cambridge. But he'd recently returned, becoming a key member of a national research institute. The higher-ups saw him as invaluable.
Some even believed his inventions could start a world war.
In a way, Kūsuke's status surpassed Kiyotaka's.
Kiyotaka, no matter how powerful, was just a politician. Kūsuke's value far exceeded that.
Kūsuke had used his position to help Kusuo enroll in the school.
Just now, Kūsuke had easily hacked the White Room, disabling all systems.
Despite tight security, Kūsuke bypassed it effortlessly.
He also projected all of Kiyotaka's dark secrets—information so sensitive that anyone knowing it would be silenced. If leaked, Kiyotaka wouldn't just lose power or go to prison.
Kiyotaka's fate was now in Kūsuke's hands.
Kiyotaka sweated, trembling.
*Is this guy... a monster? How did he disable our security so easily?*
*And those files... No one should know about them...*
*Why? How?*
"Curious how I hacked your system so easily?"
Kūsuke smiled on the screen, his sharp insight guessing Kiyotaka's thoughts.
"To me, your security's like a sandcastle—one wave and it's gone. Also, you wonder how I know your secrets?"
*He's reading my mind?!*
Kiyotaka struggled to breathe, speechless.
Just then, a pen on his desk transformed into a small spider robot.
"What?!"
Kiyotaka was stunned, thinking he hallucinated.
"Not a hallucination. I have many 'toys' around you."
Kūsuke laughed—
But his gaze at Kiyotaka was cold, like looking at an ant.
Kusuo's inventions and the technology of this world are on completely different levels.
Ayanokōji Kiyotaka couldn't help but gasp in shock.
"What is this... some kind of advanced robot?!"
"So... this guy's been watching me the whole time... Every move I've made, he's seen it all?"
"A monster... a monster..."
Fear crept into Ayanokōji's heart, something he'd never felt before.
"Don't worry, I'm not interested in your comeback plan. What you ants do is none of my business, and I don't care enough to expose you."
Kūsuke's smile faded, replaced by a cold stare.
"But if you ants dare to target Kusuo, you're really overestimating yourselves."
"I-I'm so sorry..."
Ayanokōji forced out an apology, his voice trembling.
Now he understood what Sakayanagi had meant earlier.
Kusuo's background was far beyond his imagination.
"Your White Room project, your 'greatest masterpiece'... How boring. It's just picking a cockroach from a pile of ants."
Ayanokōji clenched his lips. His life's work meant nothing to Kūsuke.
It was ironic.
Not only that, Kūsuke had been watching him for who knows how long, and he hadn't noticed a thing.
A monster... truly a monster...
Even without his abilities and inventions, Ayanokōji had no right to act against Kūsuke.
"By the way, your subordinate's at that school, right? I need you to arrange something for me. I could do it myself, but it'd involve brainwashing a few people to avoid complications..."
"Brainwashing?"
Ayanokōji thought he'd misheard.
"Never mind, you heard wrong. Just help me with this one thing."
Kūsuke smiled again.
"Next semester, arrange for a new staff member at the school."