Actually, upon learning that next month's personal points would be converted at a ratio of class points multiplied by 100, Karuizawa was probably the most panicked person in the class.
'What! So it's not a fixed hundred thousand points every month!'
Just last Friday, she'd reached that secret protection agreement with Akira: paying eighty thousand points monthly in exchange for his protection within the class.
It should've been a perfect deal, but who would've thought that only a few days later, she'd feel unable to afford his services?
'It's all because of that new limited edition makeup! And that fancy restaurant meal last weekend...'
She secretly glanced at her phone's balance, and the glaring "2500" made her stomach clench in pain.
Now, she couldn't even scrape together three thousand points, let alone twenty-five thousand.
"Kei, what's wrong? You look a bit pale?" Matsushita leaned over with concern.
"N-nothing at all~" She forced out her signature sweet smile, but her fingers were squeezing her phone case, making it creak.
This was the price of being a top gyaru—having to maintain a glamorous persona without showing weakness, and having to tough it out when financially strapped.
However, what truly made her panic now wasn't just her wallet.
'If I don't have Shimizu-san's protection...'
Karuizawa was completely different from the solitary Horikita.
She knew better than anyone that she was like a vine clinging to a host—a parasite. Without the protection of others, she couldn't even sleep peacefully in this school.
'Eighty thousand points... at least eighty thousand...'
Her fingertips unconsciously rubbed the ugly scar on her abdomen as she repeatedly calculated in her mind.
Although each class started with one hundred thousand points, she'd played on her phone in class dozens of times in the past two weeks.
Not to mention those two idiots, Yamauchi and Ike. Who knows how many class points their truancy records had already deducted.
'I'd be lucky to keep six hundred points... Uh, no, to be safer, half would be fine! I'm not greedy at all!'
Five hundred, which meant her personal points at the end of the month would be at most fifty thousand, still a full thirty thousand short of the agreed eighty thousand.
This number made her stomach spasm, and even her old injury began to ache faintly.
"You look so pale..."
"I'm fine~ Maybe I stayed up too late watching a drama last night." She forced a smile at Matsushita.
When her peripheral vision caught Akira's scrutinizing gaze, she instinctively grabbed her phone. Only after sending the message did she realize how much her reaction gave her away.
'I'm doomed... He must've figured it out...'
'If I don't have points, he won't abandon me next month, will he?'
Cold sweat trickled down her spine.
This agonizing tightrope walk made her temples throb, and even her breathing became difficult.
'She's probably out of money but still trying to put on a brave face!'
'She doesn't want me to know her points are at rock bottom...'
Akira subtly glanced at her, then shifted his gaze.
Of the one hundred thousand points distributed on the first day of school, she'd transferred eighty thousand.
Add to that her extravagant spending these past few days...
Her balance was probably low.
However, Akira had no intention of interfering.
His relationship with that girl was far from the point where he needed to meddle.
After all, it wasn't a desk-mate relationship like with Horikita.
Although Horikita's personality was indeed difficult, she was surprisingly trustworthy in matters of mutual benefit.
Every point he gave, she reciprocated as promised.
The eighty thousand points from the last transaction were proof of this.
The sixteen thousand points for Japanese Language tutoring this time were also proof.
"...Friday after school at 5:30 PM, meet at the library. I'll tutor you in Japanese Language."
Speak of the devil, Horikita suddenly turned her head, her voice slightly hoarse.
Akira couldn't help but examine her closely.
The girl's eyes had prominent dark circles, clearly indicating a sleepless night.
Even so, she hadn't forgotten to fulfill her promise.
"Let's put the tutoring aside for a moment..." Akira paused, throwing out a common but incisive question. "What are your thoughts on being placed in Class D this time?"
Horikita's gaze suddenly sharpened. After a long silence, she slowly said, "...Although I'm very frustrated. It seems that the school's class placement system is indeed fair and reasonable."
The image of her tossing and turning all night reappeared before her eyes.
Akira's words, "Your brother isn't alone either," pierced through her long-held stubbornness like a sharp sword.
She'd even, for the first time, sent a message to Horikita Manabu to confirm.
Her brother's brief reply still flickered on her phone screen: {Tachibana Akane is indeed an indispensable asset to me in the Student Council}
She knew that whether it was her brother or this boy in front of her, they always spoke only the truth.
After a sleepless night of struggle, Horikita finally understood three things:
First, she had to admit that her placement in Class D was natural.
—Her teamwork ability was almost zero, and her social skills were even worse.
Just like the eccentric Koenji in their class, though exceptionally capable, he was deliberately shunned by most of his classmates.
She wasn't unaware of the rumors about the two of them in class.
Horikita wasn't a dull person.
She felt the rejection and disgust in those gazes more keenly than anyone.
'If this continues...'
Not only would she be completely disowned by her brother, but even Shimizu-san might—
This thought made her unconsciously bite her lower lip.
However, she'd take such thoughts to her grave rather than reveal a single bit to Akira.
This was her own stubborn secret.
As for the second thing: she would use Class D as a starting point and personally push this class to the level of Class A.
Since fate had placed her in the lowest class, she could only lead this motley crew to accumulate class points and climb step by step to Class A.
This was both a promise to her brother and her own pride not allowing her to be bottom-tier trash—moreover, Class A meant more generous personal points. Staying in Class D would make even ordinary life difficult.
In any case, promotion to Class A had become her most important goal at this stage.
As for the third point: she also needed to find a trustworthy helper.
Her brother understood how to leverage the strength of others, so she didn't need to insist on doing everything alone anymore.
What her brother did, she also had to do!
Those childish thoughts of "never relying on anyone" were completely cast aside.
When the sun rises, forget yesterday.
Horikita welcomed her first day of change.