Akira narrowed his eyes slightly, his fingertips gently tapping the table. "I see... You want to buy information from me?"
Horikita's expression froze for a moment, then returned to her characteristic cold demeanor. "...Yes."
She had indeed thought a lot these past two days.
The dense marks of thought in her notebook were proof enough.
Asking upperclassmen was undoubtedly the most direct way, but for Horikita, who disliked socializing, this was an unsolvable problem.
'Instead of that...'
Her gaze refocused on Akira.
'It's more straightforward to just trade directly. At least this person is a familiar desk partner.'
Akira stood in front of the ordering window, scanning the menu.
"One hamburger steak curry rice," he said without hesitation.
Since the other person was treating, he naturally had no need to be polite.
The tray was quickly handed over—golden curry sauce coated the rice, topped with a thick hamburger patty, with a slight seep of oil, emitting an enticing aroma.
Akira picked up his tray, and as he turned, he caught a glimpse of Horikita's actions.
After paying, she had already quietly sat at a corner table, pulling out a tuna rice ball from her uniform pocket, her movements gentle and restrained.
The rice ball looked rather shriveled, clearly not a gourmet dish, but her expression was normal, as if she was long accustomed to it.
He raised an eyebrow, ordered two miso soups, and walked toward her with his tray.
Akira pushed a steaming bowl of miso soup in front of Horikita, the bowl gently clinking on the table, making a faint sound.
"For you," his tone was flat.
Horikita's gaze lingered on the soup bowl for a moment, then she shook her head. "This time, I'm treating."
"100 points. Just transfer it," Akira quoted the price.
"Shimizu-san... do you really want to add me as a friend?" Horikita suddenly looked up.
Akira's mouth twitched, and he casually pulled out his phone. The moment the screen lit up, his contact list was fully visible.
"You're overthinking it. I just thought dinner should be something warm." His fingertip scrolled across the screen, a dense list of contacts rolling rapidly—the names of most of his classmates were there, even Sakayanagi Arisu and Kamuro Masumi from Class A, and Ichinose Honami from Class B.
"See? Do I lack you as a friend?"
Horikita's gaze swept over the names, her lips tightening imperceptibly for a moment.
Akira ignored Horikita's reaction and picked up his spoon.
He skillfully tore open a packet of ketchup, squeezing a vibrant spiral onto the hamburger patty—the deep red sauce slowly slid down the curve of the patty, seeping into the crevices of the curry.
He forked a piece of meat patty, fully coated in sauce, and put it into his mouth. The sweet and sour tomato flavor immediately burst on his tongue, perfectly balancing the richness of the meat.
Then he scooped a spoonful of curry-soaked rice. The rich, spicy aroma mixed with the sweet stickiness of the rice, filling his mouth with warmth.
'Not only delicious, but the nutrition is impeccable.'
The food on his tray was decreasing at a visible rate, while Horikita, sitting opposite him, was still slowly nibbling on her shriveled rice ball.
"Be careful, or you won't even be able to get in the ring next month."
"The amateur boxing club doesn't have weight classes."
"By the way, Horikita-san, what club did you join?"
"No interest."
"Not even the Student Council?"
"..." This time, she didn't answer.
"..." Akira chose not to press further.
Akira finished the last bite of his curry rice, then picked up the miso soup and drank it all.
When he looked up, he saw that Horikita had already finished her meager rice ball and was silently crumpling the wrapper into a ball in her hand—a habit quite different from that elegant genius young lady in Class A.
His gaze swept over the untouched bowl of miso soup.
"Finish your soup," he said, tapping the rim of the bowl lightly with his spoon, producing a crisp sound. "Then we can continue discussing our deal."
As he spoke, his eyes meaningfully glanced at the 'Waste is shameful' warning sign on the wall.
After a moment of hesitation, Horikita finally reached for the soup bowl and began to sip it slowly.
When she put the bowl down, a drop of light brown soup still clung to Horikita's lips. She unconsciously pursed her lips, her gaze subtly scanning the table, searching for a napkin.
A hand with distinct knuckles suddenly entered her field of vision—Akira had, at some point, pulled out a tissue and was casually offering it to her.
"Wipe your mouth," he said, his fingertips holding steady in mid-air, waiting for her to take it.
Horikita's refusal was already on the tip of her tongue—"I don't want to rely on anyone," her usual line.
'But the deal...'
'I already owe him a favor...'
After half a second of hesitation, she finally raised her hand and, feigning indifference, took the tissue.
"You don't need to feel indebted or bad about it. Tonight's dinner has settled our accounts. For me, this is also a great opportunity to earn points—it's purely a fair transaction." Akira said, seeing through her concerns. "Tell me. What information are you planning to buy from me? Do you just want to know the truth about the class assignments?"
"..." Horikita's eyes suddenly sharpened. "Shimizu-san, from what you're saying, it seems you have other information?"
"Hmm, you could say that." Akira's lips curved slightly upward.
After a brief silence, Horikita lifted her chin. "...First, tell me the truth about the class assignments."
"It's actually quite simple." Akira leaned back in his chair. "The school assigns classes based on students' merit. During the entrance exam, each interviewer gives us a score based on our performance. Combining these evaluations and certain special criteria, everyone is ultimately assigned to one of four classes: A, B, C, or D. Class A is the best class, and Class D is the worst."
He looked directly at Horikita, his tone calm but with an undeniable certainty. "In other words—the elite go to Class A and B, while the mediocre can only stay in Class C and D."
"...That's impossible! Are you sure this is true?"
"I tested Chabashira-sensei on the first day of school. And this information was confirmed by an upperclassman directly."
"But..."
"Still doubting?" Akira gently interrupted. "Then tell me, Horikita-san, your excellent brother—the Student Council President—what class is he in?"
"Third-year... Class A."
The words landed like a heavy hammer.
Horikita's body swayed violently. "I was assigned to Class D... So in the school's judgment... I didn't even meet the passing mark?"