As the bell rang, signaling the end of Chabashira Sae's briefing on the OAA app and the upcoming special exam, the classroom buzzed with energy. Most of Class 2-C, led by Hirata and Horikita, were already gathering their things, eager to head toward the Gymnasium Hall where they would have the opportunity to meet and interact with the first-year students.
Ayanokoji remained seated, his expression calm and unreadable as always. He observed his classmates, quietly formulating his strategy for this new special exam. This wasn't just about forming a partnership with a first-year student; it was about manipulating the situation to gain an edge, and, more importantly, potentially uncover the identity of the White Room student.
As his classmates filed out, Ayanokoji took out his phone and began sending a series of discreet messages to the girls he trusted—or rather, the ones he could manipulate without them knowing.
First, he sent a message to Kushida Kikyou:
[Kushida, I need you to talk to as many first-year guys as possible. Find out everything you can about their academic skills, strengths, and weaknesses. I'll be relying on you for this. It's important, and I'd really appreciate your help.]
Next, he sent one to Sakura Airi:
[Airi, can you do me a favor? Please talk to any guys who approach you and gather as much information as possible. I trust you to handle this. It would really mean a lot to me.]
Then, he turned his attention to Karuizawa Kei:
[Kei, I need you to talk to the first-year girls and find out anything you can about them—academic ability, personalities, connections. This is really important. I'd be grateful if you could help me with this.]
Finally, he messaged Ichinose Honami:
[Honami, could you please find out more about the first-year girls? I'm looking for any information on their strengths and weaknesses. Your help would mean a lot.]
Ayanokoji made sure each message was personalized, making it seem like he was asking for a unique favor from each girl. None of them would suspect that they were all working toward the same goal. With his plan in motion, he pocketed his phone and stood up, ready to follow the rest of his class to the gymnasium.
---
The gymnasium hall was already buzzing with activity by the time Class 2-C arrived. First-year students were scattered across the room, most of them standing in groups, talking amongst themselves. It was clear that they were just as nervous as the second-year students, all trying to figure out who to partner with for the upcoming exam.
Hirata, always the natural leader, quickly took charge. "Alright, everyone. Let's spread out and talk to as many first-years as possible. We need to figure out who would be the best partners for this exam. Remember, their academic ability is crucial."
Horikita, standing beside Hirata, nodded. "We don't have time to waste. Ichinose's Class 2-B is already here, and they've started talking to the first-years. We need to move quickly."
Ayanokoji silently observed as Ichinose, with her usual charisma and beauty, effortlessly engaged with several first-year students. Her class was already making connections, and it was clear that she had the upper hand when it came to charm and socializing. Horikita seemed to notice this as well, her eyes narrowing slightly as she realized that Ichinose was far superior at making connections.
"We can't compete with Ichinose here," Horikita muttered to herself, though Ayanokoji overheard her. "She's too good at this."
Hirata, overhearing her as well, gave a supportive nod. "Maybe we should look for the other first-years who haven't come to the gym yet. We need to cover as much ground as possible."
Horikita agreed, turning to the rest of the class. "We're leaving. There's no point staying here when Ichinose has this place covered. Let's go find the other first-years who haven't come to the gymnasium."
Most of Class 2-C followed her lead, filing out of the gymnasium in search of the remaining first-year students. However, Ayanokoji noticed that both Sakura Airi and Kushida Kikyou stayed behind, exactly as he had instructed. It didn't take long before they were swarmed by first-year boys from Class 1-A, Class 1-B, and Class 1-C, all eager to talk to the two beautiful girls.
Airi, with her idol-like beauty and voluptuous figure, caught the attention of several boys who were clearly captivated by her appearance. Despite her shy demeanor, she smiled nervously and tried to engage in conversation, just as Ayanokoji had asked.
Kushida, on the other hand, was in her element. With her cute yet voluptuous body and natural charisma, she effortlessly charmed the boys around her, gathering information without them even realizing it. As Ayanokoji had expected, she would have no trouble manipulating these boys into giving her everything she needed.
---
Meanwhile, Horikita led the rest of Class 2-C toward the classrooms of the first-year students, hoping to find the ones who hadn't come to the gym. As they approached the classroom of Class 1-D, Hirata frowned.
"It's strange," Hirata said. "Not a single student from Class 1-D came to the gymnasium. It's almost as if their leader instructed them to stay away."
Horikita nodded in agreement. "That's exactly what I was thinking. It's highly likely that Class 1-D has a strong leader who's already managing them. We should try to negotiate with them directly."
However, just as they reached the door to Class 1-D's room, it swung open, and to their surprise, Ryuen of Class 2-D stepped out.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" Ryuen said with a smirk, his eyes scanning the group from Class 2-C. "You're all late to the party."
Horikita's eyes narrowed. "Ryuen, what are you doing here?"
Ryuen chuckled, leaning casually against the doorframe. "What does it look like? I'm just having a little chat with the first-years. You know, scoping out the competition."
"Did you come to some sort of agreement with them?" Hirata asked, trying to remain calm.
Ryuen shrugged nonchalantly. "Who knows? I guess you'll find out soon enough." He gave them one last grin before walking away, leaving Class 2-C standing in front of the door.
Sudou clenched his fists in frustration. "That bastard. How long do you think he's been in there?"
Horikita shook her head. "It's hard to say, but he's likely been here for quite some time. It could have been half an hour or more. There's no telling what kind of agreement he might have made."
She hesitated for a moment before pushing the door open and stepping inside.
What they found shocked them.
The classroom was completely empty. Not a single student from Class 1-D was present.
"There's no one here…" Hirata murmured, surprised.
Horikita clenched her fists in frustration. "Ryuen didn't talk to anyone. He was bluffing the whole time. The leader of Class 1-D knew exactly how to play this. He knew that the second-year students would come to negotiate, and he has taken measures to ensure that no information is leaked."
The realization dawned on everyone in the room. Whoever the leader of Class 1-D was, he was strategic and cautious. He'd ordered their entire class to disperse, ensuring that no negotiations could take place.
"This is going to be more complicated than we thought," Horikita said, her mind already working through possible next steps. "We need to find another way to approach him."
Sudou let out a frustrated sigh. "So, what now? Do we just keep searching?"
Horikita turned to face the group, her expression resolute. "We'll have to gather information from other sources and try to identify the leader of Class 1-D. Until we understand who we're dealing with, there's no point in making any rash moves."
Ayanokoji, who had quietly followed along, couldn't help but admire the strategy. 'Whoever this leader is, they're definitely not someone to underestimate. They've set the stage perfectly, avoiding any leaks of information to the second-year students. This is going to be interesting.'
As the group from Class 2-C left the empty classroom, Ayanokoji's mind was already racing with possibilities.
With two weeks to choose a partner, he knew that this exam wasn't just about academic ability—it was about strategy, manipulation, and finding the right allies.
And he had already started to weave his web, using Kushida, Airi, Karuizawa, and Ichinose to gather the information he needed.
Now, all he had to do was wait and see how the pieces fell into place.
~~
A/N: Check out my new original novel Harem Master: Seduction System. If you like harem stories with a Harem God System, you will love it. Check it out.