Chapter 71: Shimizu, Join the Student Council!
"What?! Twenty million points?!"
"Doesn't this school let students change classes based on their grades?"
"Other schools might allow class changes based on grades, but this school is special."
"So, Suzune, you—"
At that moment, a pleasant phone ringtone suddenly came from outside the street.
Manabu's expression changed instantly.
He realized someone was eavesdropping nearby.
"Who's there?"
Yuto, who was holding his school phone, looked speechlessly at Chabashira beside him.
Her pretty face showed a hint of embarrassment.
Because the phone ringing was hers.
Chabashira took out her phone.
Yuto glanced at it and noticed the contact name on the screen was Hoshinomiya.
"Chie is probably calling me to drink..." Chabashira whispered in explanation.
"We've already been discovered. What do you plan to do now?" Yuto asked in annoyance.
"Shimizu, you go out by yourself. Also, help me keep this secret."
"After all, as a teacher, I can't eavesdrop on students' conversations," Chabashira said seriously.
"...You really are a good teacher."
"Not only did you mess up while eavesdropping, now you're even planning to make a student take the blame."
"Consider it repayment for me helping you find rental information."
"Tch. Hurry up and leave."
And then...
Chabashira really left.
She even walked away rather quickly, as if afraid Yuto would call her back.
Manabu's patience seemed to have run out.
He began walking toward the street where Yuto was hiding.
However, Yuto stepped out first.
"It's you!" the Horikita siblings said at the same time.
Yuto looked at Manabu in surprise.
It was normal for Suzune to recognize him.
After all, they were classmates and had spoken several times.
But why did Manabu look like he knew him too?
Manabu narrowed his eyes and looked at the phone in Yuto's hand.
A bad feeling rose in his heart as he asked, "You wouldn't happen to be... recording, would you?"
"You can tell that too?"
Yuto was genuinely surprised.
Suzune's brother actually knew he was recording.
That was hard to believe.
At that moment, a strange light flashed through Yuto's clear black-and-white eyes.
He actively used his mind-reading ability.
[Of course I know. Nagumo was tricked out of more than 3.58 million points by your recording.]
After hearing Manabu's inner thoughts, Yuto immediately understood.
Manabu knew Nagumo had been tricked out of 3,589,850 points by him.
That was why, the moment he saw Yuto holding a phone, he subconsciously wondered whether he was recording.
Yuto's reaction and counter-question made Manabu take a deep breath.
So this guy really had been recording...
"Shimizu-kun, when did you start recording?" Manabu asked calmly.
"Before you two started talking," Yuto answered honestly.
Suzune's fox-like eyes widened.
Then she glared at Yuto in shame and anger.
"From the very beginning?! Shimizu Yuto, what exactly are you trying to do?"
"Come on, don't get angry."
"I was worried Horikita-san might get hit by her brother, so I recorded it in case it could be used as evidence later," Yuto answered seriously.
"My brother would never hit me!"
"No. If Suzune remains stubborn and refuses to drop out no matter what, I do intend to discipline her physically," Manabu said coldly.
"..."
Yuto glanced at Suzune, who had instantly withered from the shock.
Although he did not know the details between these siblings, wasn't this guy being a little too harsh?
Manabu looked at Yuto.
"Shimizu-kun, I'll buy that recording with points."
"I refuse."
Yuto showed a refreshing smile.
"Senpai, the way you said that makes it sound like I planned to threaten you with the recording and extort points from you."
This guy was talking as if he were some villain.
Was he that kind of villain?
"..."
Manabu stared at the smiling Yuto.
"What are your conditions for deleting the recording?"
"No conditions."
"I just want you to experience what it feels like to be threatened into dropping out."
"..."
Manabu's expression changed slightly.
He realized what Yuto wanted to do.
Shimizu Yuto did not plan to exchange the recording for points.
He planned to hand the recording directly to the school and have the school expel him.
"Horikita-senpai, just now, you revealed information the school absolutely forbids you from revealing."
"So the one who should drop out isn't Horikita-san."
"It's you."
Hearing that Manabu might be expelled, Suzune could no longer stay depressed.
She looked at Yuto in shock.
"Shimizu, what do you mean?"
"Horikita, think carefully about what I told you before."
"Then think about why the teachers and upperclassmen all refuse to talk about the one hundred thousand points," Yuto said calmly.
Suzune froze slightly.
Then, as if she had been struck by lightning, she said in disbelief, "This school really does use expulsion to restrict everyone?!"
"That's right."
Manabu revealed an almost invisible smile of satisfaction.
His foolish sister was not completely hopeless.
Then, to make Suzune even more certain of her own guess, he continued.
"The class assignment system falls within the range of information the school forbids us from revealing during the first month."
"So..."
"So, Horikita-san, don't worry. Your brother will drop out," Yuto said seriously.
"Who would feel relieved about that?! Shimizu, hurry up and delete your recording!" Suzune shouted in panic.
What she wanted was not for her brother to be expelled because of her.
All she wanted was to earn his recognition and approval!
"Suzune, be quiet."
Manabu coldly scolded her.
"I'll teach you one more thing."
"If the other party has something disadvantageous to you, the last thing you should do is..."
"Provoke them when you have no confidence of winning."
Yuto looked at Manabu with some surprise.
Could this guy be...
A tsundere siscon?
He was clearly trying to make Suzune drop out, yet he was still teaching her how to handle a crisis.
Looking directly at Yuto, Manabu said, "Shimizu-kun, Nagumo paid 3,589,850 points to buy that recording from you."
"I'll give you five million points."
"Delete the recording from just now."
Suzune's face turned slightly pale.
She had never expected that her conversation with her brother would cause him to lose so many points.
"What if I don't want to?" Yuto asked with a smile.
In truth, he did not plan to take Manabu's five million points.
After all, the person Manabu had bullied was Horikita Suzune.
Not Shimizu Yuto.
And not his childhood friend, Sakura Airi.
So Yuto only wanted to scare this overly cold older brother a little.
...But five million points was a lot.
So tempting!
Manabu pushed up his glasses and calmly said, "If you refuse the deal, then we can only both suffer losses."
"Both suffer losses, huh?"
"Senpai, if you're the one who'll be expelled, how do you plan to make me suffer?" Yuto asked.
"You will receive no benefit at all."
"And I will lose twenty million points."
Manabu's answer made Yuto pause slightly.
Then he suddenly understood.
"You plan to use twenty million points to avoid being expelled by the school?"
"Exactly."
Manabu could spend twenty million points to avoid the punishment of expulsion.
And Yuto would be unable to obtain five million points from him.
That was what Manabu meant by both sides suffering losses.
However, the phrase was not quite accurate.
Manabu would certainly suffer after spending twenty million points.
But Yuto would not be harmed at all.
At most, he would simply fail to obtain five million points.
"I can gather twenty million points."
"So even if I revealed information the school forbids us from revealing, I won't be expelled," Manabu said calmly.
Facing Manabu's composed expression and Suzune's hidden glare, Yuto smiled helplessly.
Then he sincerely praised him.
"As expected of the student council president."
"Even when pushed to the edge of expulsion, you can still stay this calm."
"So, Shimizu-kun, will you spare me for five million points?"
"Or do you want to watch me spend twenty million?"
Yuto walked toward the siblings and handed his phone to Manabu.
"What do you mean?" Manabu asked in confusion as he looked at the phone being offered to him.
"I want you to see that I didn't actually record anything."
"Well, that's not quite right. I did record it, but I didn't save it."
Manabu looked at Yuto with a little surprise.
He checked Yuto's phone and found that there really was no saved recording file.
"Why tell me directly?"
"Given your desire for points, shouldn't you have done everything possible to hide the fact that the recording wasn't saved and take five million points from me?" Manabu asked.
"I hate arrogant villains."
"Senpai, you're arrogant, but you don't seem to be a villain."
"So I don't plan to take five million points from you."
"There's also another reason..."
Yuto looked at Suzune behind Manabu and teased, "Horikita-san, if I extorted five million points from your brother, you'd probably resent me for three years, right?"
"I don't want Horikita-san glaring at me with resentment for three whole years."
"I feel like I'd have nightmares."
"..."
Suzune gritted her teeth.
She really wanted to snap back at Yuto.
But she was worried that if she did, the expulsion incident that was about to end might suddenly take another turn.
So she endured it.
Endure it for now!
She would retort against this villain later!
Manabu held Yuto's phone in one hand.
With his other hand, he took his own student ID from his pocket and transferred five million points to Yuto's phone.
Since a student's school phone was connected to their student ID, the personal points on Yuto's ID instantly rose by five million.
"What are you doing?"
Both Yuto and Suzune looked at Manabu in shock.
"This is what you deserve," Manabu said.
"But didn't I tell you? There was no recording."
"These five million points are not payment for the recording."
"It is the price of giving Suzune a lesson."
"I hope she remembers what happened tonight."
"This school is dangerous enough that a single careless move can lead to expulsion."
"So instead of being forced to drop out by someone else later, she should drop out now and attend a normal school."
Manabu spoke slowly.
Suzune lightly bit her lip and whispered, "I won't..."
"Louder. I can't hear you."
Suzune looked angrily at Yuto, who was smiling.
Whether you can hear me or not has nothing to do with you!
I wasn't talking to you!
The annoyed Suzune took a deep breath.
Then, gathering her courage, she said to Manabu, "Nii-san, I won't drop out."
"And I will definitely, definitely enter Class A and show you!"
"Heh. Do whatever you want."
"I've already given you enough warnings," Manabu said with a cold laugh.
His reply was harsh and sharp.
However, his eyes showed a faint trace of satisfaction.
He was satisfied with Suzune's resolve.
He only hoped this foolish sister would not regret enrolling in this school.
Manabu looked at Yuto.
Then, in an unquestionable tone, he said, "Shimizu, join the student council."
"What?"
Suzune looked at her brother in surprise.
Then she looked at Yuto.
This guy had only just been personally invited by the basketball club representative in the afternoon.
Now her brother also wanted to invite him into the student council?
"What benefits come with joining the student council?" Yuto asked with interest.
Although he did not plan to join any club, he was quite curious about what privileges this school's student council had.
"Joining the student council will give you unprecedented training."
"What else?"
"I'm asking whether the student council has any privileges," Yuto asked directly.
"You can learn about certain school arrangements in advance."
"The school will also give student council members preferential treatment in certain areas."
"There are also some powers that cannot be disclosed to students outside the student council."
"That is roughly it," Manabu slowly said.
Yuto looked speechless.
"What you said is basically the same as saying nothing."
"Some things must remain confidential, so I cannot reveal them to you."
"But if you join the student council, Shimizu, I can tell you everything," Manabu said.
"Let's set that aside for now."
"Why are you inviting me into the student council, Senpai?"
"Is it because I almost recorded you violating the school's rules?" Yuto asked curiously.
"Of course not."
"How could my reason for inviting you be that shallow?"
Manabu looked at Suzune.
Then he said coldly, "Suzune, what I'm about to say is not something you should hear. Step away for a while."
"...Okay."
Suzune sulkily put some distance between herself, Manabu, and Yuto.
Right now, Suzune felt extremely envious of Yuto.
Her brother actually valued him this much.
…
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