Chapter 53: Chapter 17 (Volume 2) -Maskless Masquerade

-------------------------------Arima Takeda's POV (Minori's brother) -------------------------

The day after the rotating question class clash

"Arima, your sister's class just placed first in the year one class clash."

That was the voice of my classmate and my second in command, Yuji Tada.

A fair-skinned male with short black hair and black eyes, who stands at 5'9.

His intellect helps carry the class whenever I am not available.

I placed my feet on the desk and replied, "So what if her class did? Did she lead them herself?"

Yuji fixed his grey school tie, "Arima, you need to stop being hard on your sister."

I scoffed, "She's been a pest ever since we were little kids. All she wants to do is follow me. Hence the reason she enrolled in this school."

Yuji replied, "We should focus on our next clash with class 2-1. Yuu Kaneko is quite a formidable opponent."

I sighed, "Yuu isn't my concern right now. I am more curious to know who's the mastermind of class 1-4."

Yujii shifted his eyes to me and said, "Knowing something like that won't benefit you at all."

I remained silent.

I just need to confirm if my sister is really the one running the show.

 

-----------------------------------Minori Takeda's POV----------------------------------

Present Time.

I received a message on my phone and checked it.

I froze when I saw what it said.

Nervously, I put my phone into my skirt's pocket and then looked around.

Dante was standing away from the class and observing me.

Did he pick up on something, or am I just being paranoid?

The ceremony was still ongoing and everyone still had their eyes glued to the stage.

I excused myself to the bathroom and quickly left the auditorium.

I made my way to the back of the auditorium, passing a couple of students along the way who were making their way to where I had previously come from.

I picked up the medal that was dangling from my neck and looked at it.

I almost topped the class. It was frustrating to know that I missed out by two points.

My brother must think that I am a failure.

I finally reached the back of the auditorium and saw someone standing there.

It was my brother, Arima Takeda.

My biggest inspiration is the person I aspire to be like.

In a harsh tone. "You're late, Minori."

I apologized and walked closer to him.

My brother wasn't always the friendliest person to me but people called him exceptional.

I wanted that same praise as well, but it turns out that I am inferior to him in every single way. His grades were simply better, and he picked up on everything else two times as quickly as the average person.

There was no way I could ever compete, but I still wanted my brother to acknowledge me. I wanted him to acknowledge me for all my accomplishments, but he never did.

Arima leaned him back against the wall and said, "Let's cut to the chase. Who is the mastermind behind class 1-4?"

I froze when I heard that question.

Shuttering out. "Wh-at ar-e you ta-lking about?"

Arima observed my nervousness and replied, "Judging from your body language, you know this person's identity."

"What will you get out of knowing that anyway?"

Arima coldly glared at me, "Right now, I am known as the best student in the history of class 1-4, due to my success at these clashes. I won't have someone else take that from me."

I took a step backwards and replied, "Is that all?"

Arima snickered, "So tell me who it is. I know it's not you, because you aren't competent enough. I observed the top 10 from your class, but none of them had that look about them."

"It could be me, because I am capable enough, Arima."

He walked closer to me until he was mere inches from my face and said, "Just because you placed 2nd in your finals, did you assume that you could stand above my already set in stone perception of you being a mediocre individual?"

I kept silent when I heard that.

"I won't ask again, so tell me Minori, who is the one assisting the class?"

"Our leader's name is Yogi Takanawa."

Arima was getting annoyed now.

Suddenly, he grabbed me by my tie and pinned me to the backwall of the auditorium.

Arima leaned in and whispered in my ear, "Everyone else will be in the auditorium for at least the next 20 minutes, and this is a blind spot, so the cameras aren't going to see this."

I looked downwards at the medal hanging from my neck.

"Who is the person? I know it's not the Takanawa guy and it's not you."

I continued to maintain my silence.

Arima released his tight grip on my tie and sighed.

"You're awfully proud of your second place medal."

He continued, "When we were younger, you once asked how to become similar to me, and what was the answer I once told you?"

I said in a low voice, "Dedicate myself to a goal and avoid people that would possibly distract me from doing so."

Arima looked at me in disappointment and replied, "It looks like my advice amounted to nothing, because your goal has remained the same. You want to be like me, but getting second place is nothing like me. "

With that being said, he snatched the medal from my neck and tossed it to the side.

"Second place should never be awarded. Only the ones on top, deserve the praise and the accolades."

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I couldn't respond because he was right. When I first arrived at this school, I had the mindset that I would avoid people and work my way up. However, as of lately, I've been thinking about other people other than myself, and that's making me weak.

I would think of it as personal growth, but should I really follow that path if it just slows me down from reaching my goals?

Arima continued to pin me against the wall and said, "Minori, you know, I dislike inferiority and you are that exact same thing in my eyes."

Suddenly, we had the sound of a can being kicked.

Arima turned his head in the direction of the sound and said, "Come out, you nosy mouse."

 

------------------------------------------Dante Kaneko's POV -------------------------

Sigh. I can't believe I kicked that inconveniently placed soda can.

I guess that I have no choice now.

I walked around the corner and said, "It seems that I've been embarrassed by my own clumsiness."

I got a closer look at the person who was pinning Minori against the wall.

Tall, dark peach colored hair, a smug attitude, and not wearing the school tie.

It's the same guy from 2-4, Arima Takeda. So he is her brother after all. I guess we have somewhat similar sibling issues.

Arima looked at me, "If you were listening in for that long, there is no way you could have missed that soda can. So you intentionally kicked it to, in order to alert us to your presence due to the fear that the situation is going to escalate."

"You give me too much credit. I am a bit of a klutz. "

Hmm. He figured that out very easily.

Minori turned her head towards me and said, "Why are you here?"

I sighed, "Your brother disappeared, and shortly after, you left the auditorium as well. So there were two possibilities, one of them being that you guys were going to have a friendly sibling reunion; or possibility number two, it was just a coincidence. Based on your vibe this morning, I decided to follow you."

Arima grinned and replied, "Quite the friend you have there, Minori."

Minori looked at me. Her expression wasn't the usual cold or deadpan, it was more vulnerable. It was almost as if I was seeing Minori without her mask.

Arima observed me, "You look like an interesting individual." and released his grip on Minori's shirt.

He slowly approached me, "I dislike people who listen in on conversations that doesn't concern them."

I stood my ground and replied, "I can't have anyone damaging my asset."

Arima laughed, "Asset? Isn't that your fancy way of saying, Minori is a pawn?"

"A weapon would be the correct term."

Minori looked on in silence as we continued to have our conversation.

Arima trained his eyes on me, "That look in your eyes tells me everything that I need to know."

"Which is?"

Arima stepped closer and replied, "That you're the person behind the latest win, but unfortunately, it seems that you stuck to the shadows. So what are you hiding?"

I trained my eyes on him, "You're beginning to incorrectly assume things now."

He then began to take off his school blazer and said, "Lying is pointless, you see."

I shifted my eyes to Minori's face. Her expression is much more human now than robotic.

Why isn't she saying anything? Normally, she would be angry that this situation is even unfolding. Her expression is much more human now than robotic. I could get used to it.

Without warning, Arima threw his blazer to the right of me.

My eyes instinctively looked at the falling blazer.

Wait, no. This is a distraction...

I was proven right when Arima launched a high kick to my left side, but I barely managed to block it with my left forearm.

He grinned, "You're quite sharp, if you saw through my distraction and blocked."

Arima then took a Muay Thai fighting stance.

Crap. What the hell is going on? Why are we even fighting?

Arima launched another kick, this time to my midsection, but I stopped the attack by holding onto his shin with my left hand.

He didn't give me time to breath, because he twisted his body and sent another kick with his free leg.

I was forced to release my grip on his other leg in order to block the incoming kick.

So far, I've been on the defensive here. I can't fully use my right hand because of my fractured finger. The bad part about this is, Arima seems skilled in his art.

Grabbing onto the leg that I recently blocked, I pulled Arima closer, then swept his supporting leg.

He fell to the ground and rolled to the side, just out of my reach.

Arima got up from the ground and said, "Seems that you're trained in something."

I replied, "Mixed Martial Arts and I see that your moves are Muay Thai based."

Arima observed me further and said, "Something about your movements seems familiar. Please allow me to confirm a suspicion."

He approached me once again.

Taking a quick jab with his right hand, I evaded the attack by shifting my head to the left.

Then I sent a counterattack with my right elbow.

Arima quickly avoided it by moving under and coming back up.

He immediately went for a spinning backhand, but I caught the attack with my left hand.

Arima then broke out of my grip and said, "I once fought the student council president, Yuu Kaneko, and his movements were very similar to yours. Is it just a coincidence or is it something else?"

I glared at him, "This is just a coincidence."

Minori finally parted us and said, "What are you doing, Dante?"

Heh? Her brother attacked me first.

Arima's ears perked up, "Dante? I get it now. You're Yuu Kaneko's little brother."

A look of shock crept up on Minori's face.

 

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