Chapter 368: Graduation Ceremony / Ayanokouji: I Can Help You Chase Women
March 24th, Graduation Day.
This marked the day when the senpais, who had spent three closed-off years on this campus, would finally depart.
Shimizu Akira already knew that Horikita Manabu's Class 3-A had secured a massive lead in class points, graduating as Class A without a hitch. There was no need for him to worry about that.
A knock sounded at his dormitory door. Akira opened it to find Sudo Ken, Ike Kanji, and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka standing outside. The three of them waved.
"Yo, Shimizu!" Sudo grinned. "Heading to the gym together?"
"The ceremony is about to start," Ike added, rubbing his hands together.
"The senpais are finally leaving this cage."
Ayanokouji didn't say a word; he simply gave a quiet nod.
Akira glanced at them, grabbed his school blazer from the back of his chair, and said, "Let's go."
The four walked side-by-side through the hallway. It was late March, and the sunlight outside was brilliant. Cherry blossoms had begun to bloom sporadically, their pale pink petals drifting along the school paths. Other students gradually merged into the flow, heading toward the gymnasium. The atmosphere was different from the usual rowdiness—it carried a subtle weight of solemnity and nostalgia.
"Three years..." Ike suddenly sighed. "We only have two left."
"What are you talking about!" Sudo slapped his back hard.
"We just climbed into Class B! Next, we're charging for Class A!"
Ayanokouji's gaze swept over the crowd before settling on Akira's profile.
"After graduation, the class points reset to zero, right?"
"Yeah," Akira replied. "So the final competition for the third-years is essentially just about the title of graduating as Class A."
"Horikita-senpai did it," Ayanokouji said plainly.
"I still don't quite get it," Ike scratched his head.
"I know Horikita-senpai is amazing and was a great Student Council President, but within his own class... he didn't seem to have any flashy plays, right? I've never heard of him pulling off some miraculous turnaround in a Special Exam."
"Horikita-senpai is stronger than most people realize; he just doesn't like to show off," Akira looked at him.
"The simplest proof is that Class 3-A has maintained a full roster of forty students from the day they started until now. No one was expelled. Do you think that's easy?"
Ike and Sudo both froze.
'No expulsions?'
It sounded like a small detail, but when they actually thought about it... it was terrifyingly impressive.
Acting Chairman Tsukishiro had mentioned that this school's expulsion rate usually exceeded 3%. In later Special Exams, there were even cruel options to "sacrifice one person for points."
In such an environment, Manabu hadn't just kept everyone on board; he had steadily suppressed the other three classes and fended off Nagumo Miyabi's targeted attacks. The "gold standard" of his leadership was undeniable.
No wonder the teachers and staff praised him as the most outstanding Student Council President in history.
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A slight commotion broke out ahead. At the entrance to the gymnasium, the third-year students were filing in. Many had red eyes; some were hugging, while others stood in corners, silently staring at the campus that had been their world for three years.
After ten minutes, the entire student body and faculty were seated. The Principal, the Dean, and other rarely seen school leaders appeared on the stage.
"Next, we invite the representative of the class that persevered until the very end to graduate with the honor of Class A: Horikita Manabu, to deliver the graduation address."
In the crowd, Manabu stood at the very front of the Class 3-A line, his expression calm and his back straight. Hearing his name, he stepped onto the stage with steady strides.
"From the moment I entered this school, I realized Advanced Nurturing High School was different from any other. The discipline is strict, and the frequent Special Exams constantly temper a student's various abilities. Perhaps some of you found it difficult or even wondered why the school does this.
But believe me, the school's original intention remains unchanged, as stated in the manual: to cultivate truly useful talent for society. If you can overcome the difficulties and graduate from Class A, then the hardships you endure today will surely be repaid tenfold in the future.
I wanted to say that you will understand once you enter society. But since you haven't touched the real world yet, such words might sound like empty platitudes.
Therefore, I only want to emphasize one point: Make sure you graduate from Class A.
To that end, I requested Acting Chairman Tsukishiro's assistance in contacting senpais who graduated from Class A in previous years and compiled data on their subsequent development."
As he spoke, a clear chart was projected onto the screen behind him.
"The data shows that over 90% of Class A graduates earn a guaranteed annual salary of at least 10 million yen after working for three years.
Among them, 10% have assets exceeding 20 million yen. Some have become core employees of international corporations, and others have successfully started their own companies. In short, graduating from Class A means you have an extremely high probability of becoming a high-income earner in the future."
"What?! That high?!"
"Is that for real?!"
"10 million yen... I don't really have a concept of how much that is."
"No concept? I'll tell you: the average annual salary for a Japanese company employee is about 4 million yen. This is more than double the average! And the senpai said that's just the baseline!"
The audience erupted into hushed, uncontrollable whispering.
"Not only that," Manabu's voice remained steady, cutting through the noise. "In society, the status of an Advanced Nurturing Class A graduate is highly respected. Its value is no less than a degree from a prestigious university. Whether in job hunting, social status, the marriage market, or settling in a new city... the state and society will provide you with many unexpected conveniences."
Manabu looked down, his gaze slowly sweeping across every young, desire-filled face.
"I know these numbers might seem like a distant concept to you now. But remember, this isn't just 'pie in the sky'—it is a replicable path verified by generation after generation of senpais."
He pointed to a detailed breakdown on the chart.
"Look here. Even in an ordinary trading house or manufacturing firm, the starting salary for a Class A graduate is 30% higher than their peers. The percentage of those promoted to management within five years is close to 70%."
The curve on the chart rose steeply, contrasting sharply with the flat line representing ordinary graduates.
"Society is realistic, but its rules are not untraceable. What this school does is bring those rules forward and present them to you in the most intense form of competition. Class A is the system's certification for the winners under those rules."
Akira couldn't help but smile. No wonder Tsukishiro agreed to Manabu's request. This move by Manabu was brilliant. Before leaving, he had injected a "booster shot" into the first and second-years, igniting their greed and desire for Class A.
"Of course," Manabu paused and cleared his throat.
"This certification is not a permanent shield. It is a heavy-duty ticket that opens the first door. But how far you go behind that door still depends on how you use everything you learned here.
To that end, I and the rest of Class 3-A make a promise: In the future, regardless of which year you graduate, if you encounter trouble or need advice in society, you can contact me. My contact information has been posted on the school forum. We will do what we can to help you out."
With that, he bowed slightly. "My speech ends here. I wish you all find your own path."
Thunderous, sustained applause filled the room. In the third-year ranks, the graduates of Class C and D looked excited—a reliable Class A senpai willing to help meant a lot of shortcuts in the future.
The atmosphere in Class 3-B, however, was miserable.
They knew that because of the Momoko Igari incident, they had completely offended Class 3-A.
They had effectively cut off any chance of future support. They had lost big.
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The ceremony ended with the school anthem. As the crowd trickled out of the gym, Sudo and Ike left to say goodbye to some senpais they knew. Akira and Ayanokouji walked together.
"New students are enrolling in about a week. You really don't know someone named Ishigami Kyo?" Akira asked.
"I don't," Ayanokouji shook his head.
'That's strange. So Ishigami Kyo only knows Ayanokouji one-way?'
Just as Akira was about to ask more about the "White Room," Ayanokouji paused and looked back.
"Someone was looking at us just now."
"Who? Yamamura Miki again?"
"No, a girl from Class A."
Akira followed his gaze and caught sight of a beautiful girl with a soft appearance and a tear mole under her eye. She was nonchalantly turning away.
"Wait, is that...?"
Before Akira could finish, Ayanokouji whispered, "The '100-man slayer' from the class next door?"
"I didn't think you cared about that kind of gossip." Akira narrowed his eyes.
'This guy really is a closet pervert, isn't he?'
"I don't care about it. It's just that Ike discussed this girl during dinner." Ayanokouji retracted his gaze.
"Then why was she looking at you?"
"Probably not me. I'm just a background character. Maybe she was looking at you. Since she's a 'slayer,' maybe you're her next target." Ayanokouji was speaking effortlessly now, mimicking the way Akira usually deflected responsibility.
"Target, huh?" Akira said noncommittally.
"She was definitely looking at you, Ayanokouji."
Ayanokouji remained expressionless.
"Reason?"
"Intuition." Akira stopped and looked at the corner where the girl had disappeared. "Besides, her eyes didn't show the interest of a hunter. It was more like... a confirmation."
'Confirmation of identity. Confirmation of existence.'
Ayanokouji was silent for a moment. He was never good at handling vague things like "intuition."
"So, Ishigami Kyo, the White Room, and now a 'slayer' who might know you."
Akira rubbed his chin, looking at Ayanokouji.
"Ayanokouji-kun, you're a magnet for trouble. At this rate, sophomore year won't be peaceful either.
The 'optimal solution' I can think of right now is to hand you over to your father. That way, the trouble is cleared in one go, and I might even get a massive reward. It's a highly profitable business."
Ayanokouji didn't stop walking. He kept his back to Akira, walked a few steps in silence, and then stopped. He didn't turn around.
"The optimal solution? From whose perspective? Yours, or mine?"
"Mine, obviously," Akira answered naturally.
"Look, the White Room is determined to get you, and your existence attracts trouble. Handing you over solves multiple problems for me and gives me a reward. The logic is perfect, isn't it?"
After a few seconds, Ayanokouji turned around. He wasn't angry; he knew Akira would never actually sell him out. He decided to play along.
"The logic holds. But two premises are wrong."
"Oh?"
"First, you assume that handing me over is an action you can complete independently," Ayanokouji said calmly.
"That implies you believe you have the ability to control the transaction and my state in front of my father or others from the White Room. That assumption carries extremely high risk; the success rate is questionable."
"Second," he continued, "you used words like 'considering' and 'optimal solution.' If you had truly decided and evaluated this as the best path, you wouldn't say it out loud. Your behavior right now is closer to just teasing."
Akira laughed and patted Ayanokouji on the shoulder.
"Nice. I was just joking! Don't worry, we've been friends for a year. I couldn't do something like that."
"Mm," Ayanokouji responded. He thought for a moment, then said in a tone as flat as a research project: "In return, I can help you find a girlfriend next semester."
"?!" Akira's expression froze. "Why did the topic jump there?"
"Because you've already had many 'girlfriends,'" Ayanokouji stated the facts like he was reading a grocery list.
"As far as I know, in our class alone, there are Horikita Suzune, Kushida Kikyo, Karuizawa Kei, Sakura Airi, and Hasebe Haruka—at least five. Since you like women so much, I can provide assistance."
Akira's mouth twitched.
"Uh..."
'How does this guy know about all of them? I never made it public.'
But imagining Ayanokouji helping him pick up girls? The image was impossible to process.
He shook his head helplessly and checked his phone. A new message from Kushida Kikyo popped up:
Kushida Kikyo: Don't forget our agreement from two days ago. Tonight at 8 PM, I'm inviting all of your girlfriends to your dorm for a little get-together.
Akira felt a massive headache coming on.
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