Chapter 061 Kushida Kikyo Wants to Rig the Game for Me?
Shimizu Akira had a good impression of Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. He quite liked the other's unassuming, indifferent temperament—though, to a certain extent, that low profile felt more like a deliberate disguise.
A brief silence gradually spread between the two. Conversations between males usually revolve around the opposite sex, academics, games, or mutual boasting. For Shimizu Akira, it was impossible to tell what kind of topic would interest the guy sitting across from him.
'As expected, I just can't find common ground.'
Shimizu shook his head inwardly, silently pulled out his phone to scan the QR code and order, paying for Ayanokouji's drink as well. Considering that late-night caffeine might affect his sleep, he eventually chose a refreshing mango juice.
About ten minutes later, the server brought out everyone's drinks. Kushida Kikyo cleared her throat elegantly, tapping the side of her coffee cup with a slender index finger. Once everyone's attention was focused on her, she revealed her signature sweet smile.
"Thank you all again for gathering here today... I'm very grateful for your votes and encouragement. From today onward, we are..." After a brief pause, she spoke with a more resolute tone: "...a community with a shared destiny!"
'A community with a shared destiny? You too?'
On the side, Shimizu Akira felt like a keyword had been triggered and couldn't help but roll his eyes internally. Had this Kushida-san watched too many band-themed anime? To an outsider, it sounded like she was forming some "Rich Girl's House" five-piece band.
"I will definitely support Kushida-san with all my might!"
"That's right! The class leader position this month belongs to no one but Kushida-san!"
However, Kushida's hot-blooded declaration clearly struck a chord with most people present. Enthusiastic applause instantly erupted in the cafe. In particular, Yamauchi Haruki and Ike Kanji—the two "live wires"—were so excited they clapped their palms red, looking like rabid fans seeing their idol.
'...So... this "community with a shared destiny" is destined to disband in the future, right? After all, that's the tragic end of most anime bands.'
Shimizu Akira suppressed the urge to facepalm. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ayanokouji Kiyotaka clapping mechanically to the rhythm, his poker face devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
'This guy is actually playing along with the performance...
Should I call him professional or just... perfunctory?'
Kushida Kikyo continued with her hands clasped on the table, her tone sincere: "First, I want to clarify that although Hirata-kun and I are competitors for the class leader position, we both want what's best for the class's development. I hope no one feels any resentment toward Hirata-kun just because you support me."
"As expected of Kushida-san! Such magnanimity is truly admirable!"
"Exactly! If Hirata weren't always acting like such a normie, I wouldn't have chosen to join Kushida-san's side either!"
The students chimed in one after another, their voices full of praise for Kushida. She smoothed her skirt and continued, "As the vice-representative, I hope everyone respects some basic principles."
She held up one slender finger, her tone suddenly becoming serious: "First, regarding those hidden rules—" Her gaze slowly swept across everyone present,
"You must absolutely, absolutely not leak them to other classes. After all, systematically, every class is a competitor."
Then she extended a second finger: "Second, I hope everyone will strictly follow the student code of conduct from now on." Her voice carried a hint of earnestness,
"We cannot afford to have our precious class points deducted for disciplinary violations anymore."
"Understood! We're Class D, after all!" Ike Kanji shouted while thumping his chest, his face written with a sense of mission.
Yamauchi Haruki immediately chimed in: "Right! There's no way we'd let other classes benefit from such important information! This is vital intel bought with a whole million personal points!"
"You two should worry about your own attendance first!" a girl couldn't help but interject. "In the first week alone, who knows how many class points were deducted because of you two!"
"Hey, you can't blame all of that on us, can you?" Yamauchi retorted indignantly. "Doesn't Koenji show up late all the time too? Why does nobody say anything to him!"
Kushida Kikyo's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, but she quickly replaced it with a soothing smile: "Alright, alright, let's let bygones be bygones. The important thing is that from now on, everyone must strictly follow the school rules~"
Following that, Kushida checked the time on her phone and pressed her hands together in an apologetic gesture: "It's getting late. Finally, I have one small personal request..." She bowed solemnly to the group. "I hope you can help me win over those who haven't voted for Hirata-kun yet."
"Eh~ is there a reward?" a boy shouted half-jokingly. "Yeah, give us some motivation~" others joined in the heckling.
Yamauchi Haruki jumped up directly: "If I could go on a date with Kushida-san, I'd definitely be full of motivation!"
Kushida's cheeks turned slightly red. After a moment of hesitation, she bit her lower lip: "Al-Alright... whoever brings in the most votes will be the winner. As a reward for the winner, if it's a single boy, I can agree to go on one date with him..." She quickly added, "If it's a girl, I will give an extra 80,000 personal points as a thank you!"
'Using those kinds of conditions...
She's really going all out.'
Shimizu Akira couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. The boys around him were already boiling over, looking like a pack of sharks that had caught the scent of blood. The girls' side also sparked quite a discussion; after all, 80,000 points was no small figure—it was enough for an average student to live extravagantly for several days.
"Then let's end it here for today. If anyone has questions, you can contact me in the group anytime." After Kushida Kikyo announced the dismissal, she suddenly called out to Shimizu Akira, who was preparing to leave: "Um... Shimizu-kun, can we chat privately for a moment?"
Sensing the suspicious looks from the surrounding boys, she quickly waved her hands in explanation: "Don't misunderstand, everyone! It's just because Shimizu-kun is on good terms with Koenji-kun, I wanted to ask him to help with canvassing votes~"
The boys, who had been getting restless, immediately quieted down upon hearing the name "Koenji Rokusuke"—after all, that guy had publicly stated last week that he owed Shimizu Akira a favor.
Once the others had filtered out of the cafe, Kushida Kikyo sat down gently across from Shimizu, her hands clasped somewhat uneasily over her knees.
"Shimizu-kun..." Her voice was lower than usual. "Um... can I give all the people I find to you?"
Shimizu Akira was just about to politely decline—he really had no reason to get involved in this mess. He hadn't expected that she wouldn't even mention Koenji Rokusuke.
'Give me her numbers? Does she mean she's effectively rigging the win for me?'
Chapter 062 Kushida Kikyo: You Scoundrel! You're Terrible! Your Head Is Filled with Nothing but Points!
Kushida Kikyo was determined to win the class representative position.
She had already calculated every step of this election with crystal clarity. The boys' cheering was entirely within her expectations—if anything, it was the exact result she had carefully orchestrated.
If a boy won, Kushida Kikyo would go on a single date with him. If a girl won, Kushida would pay 80,000 personal points as a thank-you gift.
But of course! Kushida Kikyo was only saying that.
The boys who lusted after her made her skin crawl; how could she ever genuinely go on a date with them? By the same token, 80,000 points was not a sum one simply handed over easily. At its core, this competition was nothing more than a "pie in the sky" painted to spark her classmates' motivation.
She had no intention of paying out either reward. However, she couldn't allow any loopholes to appear; after all, her classmates weren't idiots.
Almost instantly, she thought of the perfect solution: find a suitable collaborator. Ideally a boy—when the other boys saw them interacting intimately, they would work even harder for her next time.
An ideal candidate immediately surfaced in her mind—Shimizu Akira.
The reasons? They were more than sufficient.
First, he was easy on the eyes. A tall build and handsome looks—he fit her aesthetic standards perfectly. While Kushida Kikyo appeared gentle to everyone on the surface, her internal standards for the opposite sex were not low at all.
Second, spending time with him was relaxing. Last time by the pool, his natural compliments had made her feel a rare sense of pleasure. Since she spent every day cautiously catering to others, being able to speak for once without overthinking was a rare treat.
Third, he was simple and easy to control. He was a "Mr. Nice Guy" with pure intentions, making him perfect as her partner in crime.
Of course, there was one most important point—she could use this opportunity to fish for information about Horikita Suzune from him.
"Um... actually, this is a little selfish of me~" Kushida Kikyo lowered her head slightly, a shy flush rising to her cheeks while her long eyelashes fluttered gently.
"I hope Shimizu-kun can keep this secret for me? Because... in my heart, I'd rather see Shimizu-kun win."
She lifted her watery, big eyes, revealing a sweet smile tinged with a hint of timidity.
'Perfect!'
She curled the corners of her mouth upward triumphantly in her heart. This move was her specialty—first creating a sense of intimacy by sharing a "secret," then using the line "I want you to win" to close the distance.
Given her status as the class's beautiful idol, who could resist such whispered words laced with a sense of "forbidden" closeness and vulnerability?
However, his reaction was entirely unexpected.
Shimizu merely rubbed his chin thoughtfully and pointed out the truth with surgical precision: "...So, you mean the winner is rigged."
"Cough... It—It's not rigged!" Kushida waved her hands frantically, her voice rising involuntarily before immediately reverting to a pitiful tone.
"I'm just... a little afraid of the way those boys look at me..."
"But on Monday at the swimming pool," Shimizu interrupted calmly, "you didn't seem to show those concerns."
This sharp rebuttal instantly left Kushida speechless, her carefully designed lines catching in her throat.
Kushida Kikyo's smile froze for a single second, but she quickly regained her innocent expression. She tilted her head slightly, saying in a slightly aggrieved tone, "Shimizu-kun, really... I'm clearly thinking of you, why do you always think of me as a bad person?"
She inconspicuously clenched her fingers behind her back, her nails nearly digging into the flesh of her palms.
'This Shimizu Akira... why has he suddenly become so difficult to handle?'
Back at the pool, he was saying those sweet things to make her happy. Why the sudden change in personality?
'I hate him!'
"...Kushida-san."
Shimizu Akira suddenly spread his hands.
"Let's stop the back-and-forth. If you want to rig it for me, fine. Flat price: 80,000 points."
"..."
Kushida Kikyo lowered her head deeply, the corner of her mouth twitching violently under the shadow of her bangs.
'This bastard!!!)
He's actually charging me points?
Those sweet words at the pool... were they all just a setup for this play right now?!
Otherwise, I wouldn't have chosen to look for him today!'
This thought made her anger flare up even higher for some reason.
"Shimizu-kun..." She suddenly blossomed into a sweet smile, though her tone carried a subtle sting.
"Suddenly asking for points and all... that doesn't seem to fit your persona."
Shimizu Akira shrugged nonchalantly. "I've always been like this. Equal exchange, fair trade." He followed up with a confused expression.
"As for you, Kushida-san... what kind of person did you think I was?"
Without waiting for her answer, Shimizu turned away decisively.
"Anyway, since you want my help, you have to give me something in return, otherwise forget it."
Watching his retreating back, Kushida Kikyo couldn't suppress a strange agitation in her heart—a mix of fury at her plan being disrupted and a trace of an indefinable... disappointment?
'There's no way I can just let him leave like this!'
If she let the person who saw through her plan just walk away, and if he leaked the truth about the rigged election, the people in class would look at her with contempt. Her painstakingly maintained perfect image in Class D would utterly collapse.
She glanced at the few customers scattered around the cafe and forced herself to maintain a sweet smile. In a public place like this, she could neither get angry nor resort to more drastic measures.
"...Shimizu-kun," she hurried to catch up with the boy who had already reached the door, her voice so soft only the two of them could hear. "As long as you promise to keep the secret and become my collaborator..." Her long lashes trembled slightly. "80,000 points, or a da—"
"Fine, 80,000 points it is."
The lack of hesitation in his response made her breath hitch. Shimizu Akira didn't even turn his head; he simply shook his phone, the screen already showing the transfer interface.
'This bastard... his head really is filled with nothing but points!'
Kushida Kikyo was at her absolute lowest point of gloom.
'...Even if he agreed to this, it's just a verbal agreement! I don't believe for a second that he'll keep his word. What if he leaks it to other students afterward, intentionally or not?
At the end of the day... I just don't trust him! I don't trust anyone! I only trust the "dark history" someone has!
But I don't know his dark history yet, so I have no way to leverage him!'
Kushida's nails nearly pierced her palms as a dangerous thought flashed through her mind—
'Since he doesn't have any dark history, can't I just make some myself?'
But she immediately shook her head privately: 'No, it hasn't come to that yet...
After all, this is just a little trick for an election. Is it really worth going that far? I've never done something like that before!'
Chapter 063 Leaving a Handprint on My Clothes.
Shimizu Akira was completely unaware of the dark thoughts swirling within the girl behind him.
In his view, Kushida's reaction was perfectly normal—intelligent people always despise uncertainty, much like how a chess player hates an opponent who doesn't play by the book. These types of people always want to keep the initiative firmly in their grasp, even designing a collaboration to be a one-sided exploitation.
'But there's no such thing as a free lunch in this world, is there?'
Shimizu played with his phone, his gaze calmly fixed on the campus goddess before him.
'She's clearly an impeccable beauty...
Yet unexpectedly "black-bellied" (scheming).
As expected, Ayanokouji was right; her true target was indeed me.'
Compared to an illusory date, 80,000 personal points were clearly more substantial.
"Kushida-san," Shimizu Akira said slowly after a thought, "you aren't worried that I'll go back on my word afterward and leak your plan, are you?"
Without waiting for her response, he continued on his own: "But have you thought about it—with your popularity in class, even if I said something, who would believe me?"
"...Shimizu-kun, will you really, really not tell the truth? Can you turn around and look me in the eye and say it one more time?" The girl's voice came from behind, tinged with a hint of timidity and unease.
"Fine." Shimizu Akira sighed helplessly, thinking this classmate was perhaps a bit too insecure.
The moment he turned around, Kushida Kikyō suddenly reached out, grabbed his left hand tightly, and without hesitation, pressed his hand against her chest.
"Eh? What are you...?" Shimizu was momentarily stunned, the soft sensation from his palm making him instantly realize her intention.
What was she doing? Voluntarily giving him "fanservice"?
"As expected of Shimizu-kun!" An innocent smile appeared on Kushida Kikyo's face. "The strength of your grip is just right. This way, it shouldn't leave any fingerprints, right?"
"Could you close your fingers and use a little more force, grabbing three or four times?"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure. Please feel free to touch, Shimizu-kun."
"...Alright, since you've said so."
Shimizu Akira did as he was told.
"Hmph~..." The tips of Kushida's ears instantly flushed crimson, but she forced a steady smile. "Shimizu-kun... you really aren't polite at all. However, you are very obedient; I don't hate that about you."
She suddenly leaned in, her citrus-scented hair brushing against Shimizu's cheek: "Now, I have 'leverage' over Shimizu-kun on my clothes too~ I'll protect this outfit well with plastic wrap. If you don't want to be invited for tea by the police, you must keep our secret conversation at the cafe today... strictly confidential."
Shimizu Akira stood frozen on the spot, watching her figure slowly disappear. Only after a long while did he come to his senses: "What kind of threat method is that..."
He pulled the phone from his pocket, which had the recording interface still active. The screen's glow reflected his twitching lips: "With the entire thing recorded... you basically just gave me free benefits, didn't you?"
That's right, he had recorded it. After all, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka had specifically warned him, not to mention his own inherent wariness of her. So, from the very start of their private talk, the recording had never stopped.
'Who has whose leverage, exactly?'
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Kushida Kikyo quickly transferred the 80,000 points. Shimizu Akira stared at the notification on his phone and raised an eyebrow—
'How did she scrap this much money together? Did she borrow it from other classmates?'
But since the points were in hand, he didn't care to dig deeper. Regarding the so-called "leverage" in her possession, that recording was enough to prove that from beginning to end, she was the instigator and it had nothing to do with him. Besides, could fingerprints on clothing really serve as evidence?
In the dead of night, Shimizu Akira lay flat on his bed, staring at the ceiling in a daze.
'Wait...'
He suddenly frowned, a strange sense of déjà vu washing over him.
'This transaction model... hasn't it happened too many times lately?'
Memories flashed by like a revolving lantern—Karuizawa Kei's awkward look while transferring points with a flushed face, Horikita Suzune's sharp gaze while paying with a cold expression, Sakayanagi Arisu's elegant posture while swiping points with a playful smile... and now Kushida Kikyo today.
'That's the fourth one...'
Shimizu Akira sat up with a start, suddenly laughing out loud in the darkness: "Could it be... I unexpectedly have a talent for business?"
His sleepiness vanished instantly. He flipped over to grab his phone from the nightstand and skillfully switched to his rarely-used alt account. The screen glaringly displayed "Read"—the message to Ryuen Kakeru of Class C remained like a stone dropped into the ocean, without even a punctuation mark in reply. And over at Class B with Ichinose Honami, it was even more direct: the chat ended on a polite but firm rejection.
"Uh..." He couldn't help but rub the screen with his thumb, a self-deprecating smirk pulling at his lips.
It turned out that the setting of "transactions with beautiful girls always succeed" was just a one-sided delusion of his.
.
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In Ichinose Honami's room in the upper dorm area.
Ichinose held her phone, her fingertips lightly tracing the screen. After hesitating repeatedly, she finally sent a message to the class group.
Ichinose Honami: Everyone, please pay special attention to following the school's daily code of conduct lately! (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧
Shibata Souta: Roger! Don't worry, Class Rep, I've already emphasized it to everyone! Kanzaki Ryuuji: Understood. We will also take care not to leak any information to other classes. Shirami Chihiro: We will definitely follow whatever Ichinose-san says! (๑•̀ㅂ•́)u✧ Shibata Souta: But speaking of which, how did the Class Rep find out about this insider info? Everyone in Class B was startled when you called a meeting suddenly during lunch today! (⊙ˍ⊙)
Ichinose Honami: Ahaha... actually, a senior from 2nd Year Class D approached me for a trade~ But it's not convenient to reveal exactly who it was (^_^;)
Kanzaki Ryuuji: Understood. That is indeed a privacy issue. Ichinose-san, even though everyone put in 10,000 points this time, please thank that senior on our behalf.
Ichinose Honami: Mm-hmm, I'll contact her right now! (◍•ᴗ•◍)✧
Ichinose breathed a small sigh of relief. Luckily, when they met at noon, she had managed to add the other's contact info. She opened her contacts, found the entry labeled "Yamamura-senpai," and after a moment's hesitation, sent a message.
Ichinose Honami: Yamamura-senpai, thank you so much for this time! If it weren't for your warning, Class B might have fallen into a passive position in our very first month... (＞人＜;) Yamamura-senpai: No need to thank me, I was also entrusted by someone else. If anything, thanks to you, I earned a decent amount of points on my end too.
Ichinose Honami: Eh? Entrusted by someone...? May I ask who asked you?
Yamamura-senpai: Sorry, I can't reveal that; the person doesn't want you to know either. And... it's best if we don't contact each other again. I don't want to be targeted by the Vice President.
Ichinose Honami: What?! The Vice Pres—
Yamamura-senpai: Anyway, let's block each other! Next time we meet, act like you don't know me!
As soon as the message was sent, the other's profile icon quickly turned gray. Ichinose Honami stared blankly at the screen, her finger hovering over the keyboard, unable to react for a moment.
'—Entrusted by someone?'
In other words, the person who actually warned Class B... was someone else?
Chapter 064 What? Only Our Class C Is Still in the Dark.
The lights were still on in the faculty office at 8:30 PM. Mashima Tomonari was still flipping through a large English dictionary.
As the homeroom teacher of Class A, he usually appeared somewhat cold in front of his students, accustomed to maintaining a proper distance from everyone.
However, those who knew him well understood that this seemingly aloof teacher harbored genuine concern for his students deep within his heart. Before taking over a new class, he would always spend three days carefully studying the profiles of every student just to understand each child's traits faster.
When it came to lesson planning, he set aside at least three hours every day to ensure the quality of every single class. If there were a contest for the most competent teacher of the first-year groups—and provided there was no corruption—Mashima Tomonari would undoubtedly take first place.
Mashima flipped another page of his lesson plan. Noticing his thermos was empty, he stood up to get some hot water. The moment he turned around, he froze slightly.
The faculty office, which should have been empty, was currently full of people. Hoshinomiya Chie of Class B was looking down, grading assignments; Sakagami Kazuma of Class C was leaning back in his chair, twirling a fountain pen; and most surprisingly, even Chabashira Sae of Class D was present at her desk, her fingertips rhythmically tapping the tabletop.
Mashima instinctively checked the wall clock. At this hour, he should have been alone in the office. He occasionally ran into Sakagami, but a full gathering like today was rare.
His gaze lingered on Sakagami for a few seconds. As colleagues, they maintained surface-level politeness but could never become close friends. Mashima could never agree with Sakagami's style of protecting his students regardless of right or wrong—no matter if his students were at fault, this homeroom teacher would always side with them, even resorting to underhanded methods behind the scenes. However, Mashima had to admit that Sakagami truly put the class's interests first. This obsessive protection might stem from a sense of duty as a teacher, or perhaps he just had his eyes on the substantial class promotion bonus at the end of the year. But whatever the reason, it didn't really matter as long as the results were good.
As for the other two—Hoshinomiya Chie and Chabashira Sae—they were old acquaintances of his. The three of them were in the same year during high school, just in different classes. After all these years, ending up as colleagues at this same school was a form of fate.
However, as an honest friend, Mashima Tomonari truly couldn't say they were competent teachers in good conscience.
Hoshinomiya Chie's private life could be described as indulgent. She changed boyfriends more frequently than the class schedule. Mashima didn't want to judge her personal choices,
but the problem was that she would even sneak out to drink on workdays, walking into the classroom the next day with heavy dark circles and smelling of alcohol. It was a wonder she could teach students at all in that state.
Chabashira Sae was the exact opposite extreme.
She had a cold personality, and aside from a failed high school romance that went nowhere, she hadn't dated anyone in all these years.
Mashima guessed that perhaps the cigarette she never put down warded off most suitors—after all, not every man could tolerate the lingering smell of tobacco on a partner.
As for her teaching attitude? She was even more perfunctory than Hoshinomiya. She arrived exactly when class started and left the moment it ended; the classes she led had never successfully moved up a rank. Rather than a teacher, she was more like a workplace ghost punching a time clock.
But then again, in terms of actual ability, their teaching skills weren't inferior to his. Otherwise, with Advanced Nurturing High School's strict hiring standards, how could they have stayed?
Mashima still remembered that when they first started, Chabashira Sae was also a meticulous teacher. Her lesson plans were neat and detailed, and she never missed after-school tutoring. But ever since "that incident," Hoshinomiya Chie became like a shark sensing blood, targeting her at every turn.
The grades of both classes spiraled down in their overt and covert feuds, eventually becoming the bottom of the grade level. Mashima, by a twist of fate, reaped the benefits, holding the position of Class A homeroom teacher for several consecutive years. Yet, whenever he saw the names of those who were expelled on the student lists of those two classes, he was reminded—in this war without gunpowder, the true victims were never the teachers at the podium, but the innocent children in the classroom.
He had actually tried to advise them privately several times. But Chabashira ranked dead last in every annual evaluation and was eventually relegated to leading Class D.
Over time, the once-meticulous Chabashira was worn down into her current listless state.
And Hoshinomiya... she wasn't like this at first either. He remembered her grading assignments late into the night when she first started; it was only after Chabashira began to completely "rot" that she followed suit.
The unopened lesson plans in her office drawer and her increasingly heavy perfume were silent testaments to a kind of self-abandonment.
Mashima actually understood that if one were to truly assign blame for that old incident, Chabashira was indeed in the wrong. Thus, looking at Hoshinomiya's dark circles masked by mascara, he couldn't even bring himself to scold her. As long as it didn't involve class competition, the two of them still drank together on weekends. But the moment class
rankings were involved... those old scores that were intentionally forgotten would suddenly become more important than final exam results.
Back to the point: in short, he hadn't seen the two of them so serious in a long time. However, starting to work hard now was simply too late.
"Class A should still be my class at the end of this month," Mashima Tomonari said very seriously.
"Those children discovered the hidden rules just a few days after school started. To date, they haven't lost more than 80 class points."
Among previous students, discovering the rules was not without precedent. But the key was timing—finding out too late made it meaningless. Even if discovered, if the finder was unwilling to share it with the whole class, it was equally futile. Furthermore, getting every student in the class to strictly follow the rules was an even greater challenge. These three hurdles were enough to filter out 99% of students. His Class A had handled these three points almost perfectly. With Sakayanagi Arisu and Katsuragi Kohei as leaders, he felt victory was in his grasp. In all his years of teaching, this was the first time he dared to make such an assertion in the second week of school.
"Hmph! Isn't Class A always like this? A grand opening followed by a miserable end. School has just started; the real battle is still ahead!" Sakagami Kazuma pushed up his glasses and gave a cold snort.
"Oh my... what a coincidence! The students in my class just discovered the hidden rules too~" Hoshinomiya Chie said with a beaming smile.
"What... how did you manage that?" Sakagami Kazuma was truly shocked this time. It was one thing for Class A to find the rules, but for even Class B to...
Hoshinomiya Chie smiled without answering, then looked teasingly at Chabashira Sae: "Sae-chan, stop pretending~ In your Class D, the news must have spread long ago, right?"
Chabashira Sae merely gave her a cold, sidelong glance: "...You talk too much."
This understated response caused Sakagami Kazuma's face to turn ugly instantly.
Class D... actually knew as well?!
The one most unsettled was, naturally, Class C, which was the only one still left in the dark. Traditionally, A and B sat at one table, while C and D sat at another.
Chapter 065 Shimizu Akira Must Have Secretly Told Me the Hidden Rules / These 80,000 Points Were Worth Every Cent!
Sakagami Kazuma quickly regained his composure.
He was actually very confident in his class. He especially admired his student, Ryuen Kakeru, because, strictly speaking, both of them were the type who would use any means necessary to achieve their goals. It was only with Sakagami's tacit approval that Ryuen was able to become the leader so rapidly.
Thus, he picked up his phone and immediately sent a text to Ryuen Kakeru.
Sakagami Kazuma: Ryuen-kun, how has the class been lately?
Hoshinomiya Chie unconsciously hummed a little tune, her gaze drifting seemingly randomly toward Chabashira Sae nearby.
'Sae-chan, oh Sae-chan...
The fact that our class could smoothly obtain the intel is all thanks to that Shimizu-kun from your class.
If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have been able to lock onto that broke second-year student so quickly...'
Indeed, Hoshinomiya Chie knew exactly what happened—it was she who had taken the initiative to contact the second-year Yamamura-senpai.
Within a few sentences, she had confirmed from the student's evasive answers that Shimizu Akira already possessed all the hidden rules. A plan had quietly formed in her mind. But the school rules were absolute—teachers must not interfere with student actions.
So, she didn't hesitate to spend 80,000 personal points to place a gag order on Yamamura-senpai. This transaction made it perfectly logical for Yamamura-senpai to "happen" to establish contact with Ichinose Honami.
Thinking about the spectacular expression Chabashira Sae might make when the truth was revealed, the corners of Hoshinomiya's mouth curled up, and a light hum escaped her nose.
'Spending these 80,000 points was truly worth it!'
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Thursday morning, Shimizu Akira had just finished his physical training and returned to the dorms. His sweat-soaked gym clothes clung to his back. Just as he reached out to turn the bathroom doorknob—
[Buzz Buzz] His phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket. The name flashing on the screen made him raise an eyebrow: Ichinose Honami.
"Shimizu-kun!" The female voice on the other end, though carrying a hint of hesitation, was mostly resolute.
"It was you, wasn't it?"
Shimizu's breath hitched, and his fingers tightened slightly around the phone.
'What is she referring to?'
The first thing that flashed through his mind was his secret "alt account" identity.
'Wait... was I found out?
Exposed because of the million-point trade offer?
How is that possible... how did she track it?
Could it be... she reverse-engineered my real name from the ID "Yue" ?'
However, Shimizu quickly calmed down and asked flatly, "What are you talking about, Ichinose-san? I don't understand."
"That 1.3 seconds of silence just now was very suspicious~" Ichinose's voice came through with a hint of a smile.
"It really was you!"
"..." Shimizu's expression became quite conflicted.
"You were the one who instructed Yamamura-senpai to approach me, right?" Her voice suddenly became lighthearted.
"Shimizu-kun is... unexpectedly kind."
The expected interrogation didn't come; instead, he heard something completely unrelated. Shimizu was momentarily stunned.
'Yamamura-senpai? That second-year Class D student who sells intel?'
His tensed shoulders relaxed imperceptibly—at least his "cover" hadn't been blown.
"Sorry, I really don't know what you're talking about." This time, he was genuinely confused.
"Heh~ still going to play dumb? You really are something!" Ichinose's voice held a playful amusement.
"On the second day of school, wasn't I the one who took you to meet that Yamamura-senpai?"
"That's true," Shimizu admitted cautiously.
"Then..." Her tone suddenly became serious.
"Shimizu-kun, you must have bought the hidden rules from her, right?"
Shimizu paused.
'What's going on...
The usually easygoing Ichinose seems like a different person today. She's sharper than usual.'
He weighed the pros and cons. Since she had seen through it to this extent, continuing to hide it would seem disrespectful.
"...Yes," he finally admitted frankly.
"As I thought..." Ichinose's voice trembled slightly with a sense of "Aha!"
"So you specifically arranged for Yamamura-senpai to approach me and sell that intel to me at a low price, right?"
Shimizu suddenly realized what had happened and explained seriously, "It really wasn't me."
'I see...
Someone specifically spent points to have Yamamura-senpai approach Class B...
And since I just met that intel broker with Ichinose last week...
With such a coincidence, it's no wonder she misunderstood.'
The faint sound of fabric rustling came from the other end.
"Shimizu-kun... was it really not you?"
"Given my personality," Shimizu tapped the mouthpiece with his knuckle, creating a crisp sound, "if I really wanted to help, I would have told you the answer directly. Why go through all the trouble of using a third party?"
The phone fell into a long silence, with only the faint hiss of static. Just as Shimizu's thumb was about to slide toward the end-call button, Ichinose suddenly laughed.
"As I thought... it really is you, Shimizu-kun."
"The reason is simple," her voice brightened, like the moon emerging from behind clouds. "The four classes are competitors. You wanted to maintain your stance, but you couldn't help but lend a hand—so you chose this roundabout way, didn't you?"
'What's wrong with this girl? How can she even derive a 'logical' explanation for that?'
Shimizu facepalmed, a helpless sigh escaping his throat. Even though he had explained it so clearly, her logic was like a knotted earphone cord—stubbornly winding back to the same spot.
But on second thought—standing in Ichinose's shoes, this deduction actually seemed reasonable. All the clues pointed weirdly toward him; it was like a perfectly designed coincidence.
"Shimizu-kun, don't worry..." Ichinose's voice suddenly softened, with a playful lilt.
"I will treasure this secret in my heart forever.
This is a promise between just the two of us... hehe.
Without your help, Class B would have fallen into a passive position in the first month of the new semester...
...Please accept these 80,000 points. It's not much... but after I get my points next month, I will continue to compensate you."
"Well then—" Her speaking speed suddenly increased, sounding a bit rushed. "Goodbye, Shimizu-kun."
Before he could respond, the call cut off.
Shimizu Akira stared at the "Call Ended" text on his screen, then looked at the 80,000 points she had immediately transferred. For the first time in a long while, he fell into a deep silence.
He had been a scapegoat many times, but he never expected that one day he would be forced to take credit for a "good deed" he didn't do.
'Seriously! Who is the person with no common sense who does good deeds without leaving a name?!'
Chapter 066 Kamuro Masumi: Eating a Free Meal? Here, Take My Points.
Shimizu Akira returned to the dormitory and took a refreshing hot shower. After changing into his crisp school uniform, he sat alone in a corner of the cafeteria, chewing on a free breakfast.
80,000 points—that number again.
Counting Ichinose's transfer this time, several of the most outstanding girls from the four classes had somehow all interacted with him through this magical number.
Oh right! There was also the one million points from Chabashira Sae. Of course, given her age, she could hardly be called a "beautiful girl" anymore.
"Current balance is 1,370,000 points..." Shimizu Akira muttered to himself, staring at the figure displayed on his phone screen.
School had been in session for less than two weeks, and he had already earned 1.37 million points. He wasn't sure what the balances of other students looked like, but for an ordinary high school student, this was undoubtedly a fortune.
However, at the end of the day, these were internal school points that couldn't circulate in the real world. Furthermore, he couldn't touch this sum for the time being, as it was the capital needed to rent the surveillance equipment. From today on, every expense had to be strictly controlled. He would just make do with the free breakfast this morning.
Speaking of which, since parting ways yesterday, there had been no news from the Student Council President. This was understandable—the agreement was only made last night, and one couldn't expect him to complete the task instantly. Besides, the President had stated that there would be a result by the end of school on Thursday at the latest.
Just one more day to hold out! As long as he got through this meal, he wouldn't have to live so frugally anymore.
"Talk about pathetic!"
A female voice, tinged with a hint of disdain, suddenly came from above.
Shimizu snapped out of his thoughts, his gaze falling exactly upon a pair of long, beautiful legs. Looking up, he saw Kamuro Masumi holding a tray, looking down at him with eyes full of undisguised contempt.
"Out of all the freshmen, you're the only one eating the free set meal." As she spoke, she sat down across from him without invitation.
The high-end set meal on her tray formed a sharp contrast with the simple, free meal in front of Shimizu.
Shimizu slowly swallowed his food and looked up at the girl across from him. "Good afternoon, Kamuro-san. Have you forgiven me yet?" He suddenly remembered that over-the-top joke from last time; the girl seemed to be holding a grudge even now.
"Apologize with a dogeza and let me step on your head to atone," Kamuro Masumi snorted, her slender finger lightly tapping the edge of her tray.
But then, her gaze swept over the free meal in front of him, and her tone softened slightly. "...However, seeing as you actually listened to me and are honestly eating free meals to save points..." She poked at the food on her own plate with a fork. "...I'll let you off this time."
Shimizu was momentarily speechless, a subtle, awkward expression frozen on his face. He did remember Kamuro warning him in a chat message to be careful with his point usage, but he hadn't expected her to remember it so clearly.
—Though she had guessed the reason completely wrong. He was only saving temporarily for the surveillance rental.
"...I ordered an extra portion, you can have it." Kamuro Masumi suddenly turned her face away, pushing a small bowl of golden, crispy popcorn chicken toward him.
Shimizu's eyes glanced at the solitary bowl of ramen on her tray—it was clearly a side dish she had just separated from her own set meal. A flash of realization crossed his eyes, but he merely smiled warmly.
"Then, thank you, Kamuro-san."
With some acts of kindness, accepting them tacitly is the best way to respect the giver.
The corner of Kamuro's mouth twitched into a tiny, uncontrollable curve, but she immediately put on a stern face.
"...You don't even know how to pretend to decline? You really are thick-skinned!"
She suddenly pointed her chopsticks at Shimizu, her tone carrying the arrogance typical of Class A.
"By the way, since you already know the truth, you should understand—even if your Class D speaks out, it won't change anything. After all..." she intentionally trailed off, "you're just the leftover 'defective products.' Will they really listen and behave so obediently?
At the start of next month, your class will have 200 or 300 points at most. Barely enough to eat well occasionally. But I'm different; Class A's points will be three or four times yours~"
She spoke these boastful words with her head held high, yet her eyes kept darting toward the popcorn chicken in front of Shimizu, as if checking to see if he was actually eating it.
Shimizu kept a faint smile on his lips, slowly chewing the crispy chicken. Regarding the millions of points about to hit his account, he chose to remain silent. He saw it clearly—Kamuro Masumi wasn't truly mocking him; she was just clumsily trying to maintain her proud Class A elite posture while providing help inconspicuously.
"Yes, yes," he nodded compliantly, humoring the girl's small vanity.
"What were your entrance exam scores like?" Kamuro suddenly asked.
"Except for Physical Education, I failed every subject," Shimizu answered truthfully.
Kamuro's expression froze. She looked Shimizu up and down, her gaze finally resting on the firm lines of his arms. "...No wonder you ended up in Class D. You're just a muscle-brained idiot."
"For your information," she suddenly straightened her back and pointed her chopsticks at him, "my entrance scores were much better than yours! So get rid of that 'looking down on me' attitude of yours!"
Shimizu suddenly realized—she was still bothered by his "heartfelt words" from that day.
"I said the wrong thing that day." He set down his chopsticks, his expression becoming uncharacteristically serious.
"I promise, I won't hold such rude thoughts again in the future."
He had to admit that although Kamuro Masumi always put on an overbearing front, both her frank personality and her principles were much purer than most people in Class D. Especially her awkward way of caring; it made Shimizu feel it was exceptionally genuine.
Kamuro's thumb slid quickly across her phone screen. Suddenly, a "ding" notification sounded from Shimizu's pocket.
"You... your personality is too weak," she frowned, intentionally using a disgusted tone to hide her awkwardness.
"You just agree to whatever I say... Fine, since you're so obedient, I'll lend you 10,000 points for now."
Kamuro stood up abruptly, her tray making a crisp clattering sound in her hands. "Don't eat such pathetic set meals in the future. Sitting with you... even I find it embarrassing."
Before Shimizu could respond, she walked quickly toward a distant empty seat. Halfway there, she stopped suddenly and threw a line back without turning around: "...Remember to accept the points. Don't force me to go to Class D to find you in person!"
"Kamuro Masumi... she really is a good person."
Shimizu Akira watched Kamuro's retreating back and couldn't help but sigh. Despite being so bluntly insulted, a strange trace of warmth rose in his heart. He looked down at the remaining popcorn chicken on his plate and suddenly realized—this was likely Kamuro Masumi's version of caring.
Chapter 067 Kushida Kikyo Is the Textbook Definition of a Perfect Girlfriend
[Ding~ Today's Intelligence has been updated]
Intel 1: Ryuen Kakeru of Class 1-C currently possesses 3,016,500 points. Intel 2: Kanzaki Ryuji was assigned to Class 1-B because his interview attitude was excessively passive. Intel 3: Hashimoto Masayoshi of Class 1-A is a "traitor" (double agent).
Just as Shimizu Akira reached his seat in the classroom, the prompt for today's intelligence echoed in his mind. He browsed through it word by word.
Looking at the first entry—
'Hmm? Ryuen Kakeru actually has that many points?'
Shimizu immediately reflected on his previous arrogance; it turned out he wasn't the one with the most points. From the look of it, Ryuen Kakeru of Class 1-C was far wealthier than him, with points already surpassing the million mark.
'Could it be the class funds?'
He didn't think the other person would earn points through rational trading like he did. Considering Ryuen's status as the leader of Class C, he instinctively guessed that this might be the total points of all Class C members combined.
'Wait, does that mean Class C is actually quite united?'
That was somewhat unexpected.
Next, the second entry. He had heard of Kanzaki Ryūji's name before; after all, the guy was a well-known handsome student in Class 1-B.
'Why is there another person assigned to a different class because of their interview attitude?'
His own classmate, Koenji Rokusuke, was the same.
'Isn't the authority of the interviewers a bit too high?'
Thinking about it, all students were given different evaluations through a series of tests by interviewers, and then sorted into classes based on those evaluations. It was one thing for one person to have their placement affected by their attitude, but now a second had popped up. This was clearly an issue with the school.
Finally, the third entry. He didn't have much of an impression of Hashimoto Masayoshi.
'Does "traitor" mean a fence-sitter? In other words, this person will be someone's subordinate but will eventually betray their faction to cooperate with others?'
He just didn't know who Hashimoto was currently working for. It was possible he wasn't just betraying a specific faction, but might sell out the entire class.
Shimizu Akira mentally made a note to keep an eye out.
.
.
.
The third period of the morning was Mathematics, Shimizu's best subject. As much as he struggled with Language Arts, he excelled in Math.
Today's lesson was on vectors, a topic he was already intimately familiar with. During his years as a game planner in his previous life, he had written countless tables for programmers and later self-taught game development.
The application of vectors in games was incredibly comprehensive—judging fields of vision, collision detection, and implementing character movement logic all required them. While most cases could be handled by built-in engine tools, there were times when he had to write the code himself.
.
.
.
Lunch break arrived. Just as Shimizu was planning to head out for a meal, his phone vibrated. He swiped the screen with his left hand and saw a message from Kushida Kikyo.
Kushida Kikyo: Shimizu-kun, don't forget our agreement~
Kushida Kikyo: I'll count all the votes I secure under your name!
He immediately understood she was hinting at the election. —She was actually going to credit all her lobbying to him? —It seemed those 80,000 points were, to her, purely "hush money."
However, even though she had revealed her true nature last night, she was still acting like a "good girl" in front of him?
Shimizu Akira: Is that really okay?
Kushida Kikyo: ...It's fine! I was the one who suggested it, after all. Shimizu-kun doesn't actually have to do anything~
Shimizu never expected he could "idle-win" this election. What surprised him most was Kushida's attitude—actively stating he didn't need to do anything. This feeling of having everything taken care of gave him the strange illusion of being a "kept man."
'Is she the type who would swallow her own grievances just to maintain a perfect persona?'
Shimizu's thoughts drifted, imagining a vivid picture: if Kushida Kikyo were to date in the future, she would likely wear this gentle and lovely mask, playing the role of an impeccable, perfect girlfriend.
Even if her boyfriend provoked her, she would only bite her lip, swallow her anger, and run to the rooftop alone to vent by stomping against a wall. Then, the next morning, she would blossom with a sweet smile in the morning sun as if nothing had happened the night before.
Whether her gentleness was real or fake didn't matter; at least she was devoted to you, right? Of course, that's assuming you held her dark history over her.
'Wait... thinking of it that way?'
A perfect girlfriend! This was a textbook-level perfect girlfriend!
Shimizu couldn't help but compare: even if it were the famously gentle Ichinose Honami, she would likely stick to her principles and demand the person at fault apologize. But Kushida was different—to maintain the love of others, she would rather hide away to vent her emotions than ever lose her temper at someone close to her.
"Could it be... that Kushida Kikyo... is the best choice for an ideal girlfriend..."
This sudden conclusion startled Shimizu himself. Even knowing she was two-faced, that specific trait made her rare. The fact that she would never get angry at her boyfriend alone beat out 99% of women in the world. Even better was the dual-personality setup—it was like having two girlfriends at once, one sweet and lovely, the other real and blunt. This "contrast charm" wouldn't get boring; it would add a unique spice to the relationship.
Shimizu looked at the girl with the masterful acting skills and sighed inwardly. Kushida Kikyo was indeed flawless—if you ignored her innate talent for performance.
Shimizu Akira: Kushida-san, you're still too gentle.
Kushida Kikyo: ...Eh? I just want to be friends with everyone, it's not just about being gentle! Kushida Kikyo: Um... actually, despite how I look, I have my own selfish side! Like the transaction last night...
Kushida Kikyo: If I absolutely had to go on a date with a boy, truthfully, Shimizu-kun would be better.
Shimizu raised an eyebrow as several messages popped up in quick succession. Sure enough, the conversation turned to the main point in the next second.
Kushida Kikyo: Um... actually, because class funds were collected recently, I had to borrow points from several people to raise those 80,000 points!
The girl's subtext couldn't be clearer: Since I'm broke, shouldn't you do something about those 80,000 points?
Shimizu could almost see a virtual pop-up over the chat box: In urgent need of points! Really, really want those 80k back!
He pondered for a moment and decided to be direct.
Shimizu Akira: Look, your 80,000 points are of great use to me. In short, it's impossible for me to give them back to you.
Kushida remained silent for a very, very long time.
Kushida Kikyo: Not even 30,000 points?
Shimizu Akira: Yeah, I can't give them.
Kushida Kikyo: I see.
He could almost hear the sound of Kushida's internal abacus shattering.
However, Shimizu couldn't help but chuckle. See! He was right! Even in this situation, she still didn't plan to tear off the mask and get angry.
Chapter 068 Finally Obtained Control Over the Surveillance
Shimizu Akira no longer had time to focus on Kushida Kikyo's reaction because Horikita Manabu had finally sent the long-awaited text message.
Horikita Manabu: Call me immediately.
The brief message carried his usual directness.
Shimizu's gaze sharpened. He rose from his seat without hesitation, leaving the classroom and walking quickly toward the restroom—a relatively private space. Once the call connected, Horikita Manabu's characteristically calm voice came through the receiver:
"The school has approved your application. It aligns almost exactly with my prediction."
"Four classes, eight surveillance devices. The rental period is three weeks, calculated from this Monday, and will expire completely at the end of this month." Horikita Manabu paused. "However, the school has attached four conditions.
First: since there is no monitoring data from last week, the class points already lost by the four classes in the first week cannot be changed.
Second: the rental rights for the cameras can only be sub-leased to the specific class where the camera is located. You cannot rent them to other classes. Furthermore, you must sell these rights within three days. If they are still in your hands after that, the school has the right to reclaim those permissions. In exchange, the school's buy-back price is 400,000 points per unit.
Third: you need to pay a rental fee of 1,200,000 points.
Fourth," Horikita's voice carried a hint of intrigue, "the Chairman is very interested in you and wishes to speak with you personally. You should be able to accept these conditions, correct?"
On this end of the phone, the corner of Shimizu's mouth curled upward.
"I can."
The cost was much lighter than he had anticipated. It seemed the President's judgment was slightly off. He had originally thought the school would approve a one-month rental, but they only gave three weeks.
However, after thinking it over calmly, Shimizu realized the school's reasoning made sense—if the monitoring covered the entire month, the gap between the four classes would likely shrink significantly, rendering the competition meaningless. If the school allowed students to completely eliminate all violations through surveillance, they might end up having to pay the high reward of 100,000 points to each of the 160 freshmen. For the school's finances, that was clearly an unbearable burden.
Based on the point deduction data from the first week alone, it would be easy to judge which classes were A-rank and which had fallen to D-rank.
"In that case, Class D is probably still at the bottom!" Shimizu realized this immediately. Thinking back, the number of times Class D was late or skipped class in the first week was in the dozens. But considering it was only the first week, the class points should still have more than half remaining; they wouldn't be completely wiped out.
As for the second condition, the school's intention was obvious: they wanted students to earn points within reason, rather than treating other students as subjects of constant surveillance, which would interfere with normal campus life.
The subtext was: Watch yourself. Use these three days to sell the rights; don't think about monitoring other students long-term, or we will take them back.
However, since the school's buy-back price was 400,000 points per unit, he was guaranteed a profit regardless. In truth, Shimizu never intended to hold the surveillance rights long-term. Making a quick profit was enough; there was no need for extra trouble. As for the 1.2 million point rent, it wasn't actually that much.
"The Chairman is right next to me. He wants to talk to you now. Is it convenient?" the Student Council President's voice came through again.
Shimizu was startled. "Of course." While he didn't know why the Chairman wanted him, the man was the head of the school; he had no right to refuse.
"Shimizu-kun, hello. I am the Chairman of this school, Sakayanagi Narumori."
The voice on the other end was gentle and refined, carrying the broad-mindedness characteristic of an elder. Shimizu raised an eyebrow—for a powerful Chairman to introduce himself so humbly to a student was unexpected. Whether this kindness was genuine or not, at this moment, he felt a slight liking for this Chairman he had never met.
"Hello, Chairman Sakayanagi. I am Shimizu Akira from Class 1-D." He responded with appropriate etiquette, his voice neither humble nor arrogant.
"Shimizu-kun has been enrolled for over a week now, hasn't he? Are you adjusting well to life at this school?" Sakagami Narumori's tone was like that of an elder concerned for a junior.
Shimizu smiled, understanding this leader-style small talk. "Thank you for your concern. The school environment is excellent; I've adapted completely."
"Is that so? By the way, how is your health lately? Any discomfort?"
"My health has always been great. To be honest, I haven't even had a cold since I was a child."
"Oh?" The Chairman let out a meaningful exclamation. "It is truly rare for a young person to have such a sturdy constitution. Speaking of which..." His tone suddenly shifted. "You should have a habit of morning jogs, right? A few days ago, I happened to see you running on the field from my office window. If I saw correctly, you run at least ten kilometers every time."
"Yes, that's one of the habits I've had since childhood."
Shimizu was taken aback—the Chairman's office window did indeed overlook the entire track field. But the problem was: how did the man recognize him? Being seen by chance is one thing, but being recognized and remembered by the Chairman at a glance meant he had been on a "priority watch list" for some time. He didn't think there was anything particularly special about him to warrant such attention from the Chairman.
"Maintaining exercise is a good habit!" On the other end, Sakayanagi Narumori's voice suddenly took on a layer of genuine emotion. "As a parent, the greatest wish is for one's child to grow up healthy and safe..."
Shimizu keenly caught the unmistakable trace of loneliness in the man's tone. This wasn't mere politeness—this Chairman seemed to have an abnormal obsession with "health."
'Could it be... his own health is poor? Wait...'
He decided to test the waters.
"Forgive my intrusion, Chairman Sakayanagi. I know a student named Sakayanagi Arisu. I wonder if she and you..."
There was a slight intake of breath on the other end, followed by a bitter chuckle.
"She is my daughter... She has been a sickly child since she was small."
Shimizu's eyes widened. My Chairman Father? Wait, Sakayanagi Arisu actually has the Chairman as her father!
"Shimizu-kun, don't overthink it," Sakayanagi Narumori's voice regained its composure.
"I have always advocated for fair competition. I will not interfere in class affairs due to personal relationships.
Shimizu-kun, I originally thought you were a student who wasn't very good at studying. It seems I was dead wrong. I hope you can continue to maintain this state." After a brief instruction, Sakayanagi Narumori ended the call decisively.
Shimizu held his phone, feeling a sense of dissonance. The man hadn't asked about the surveillance at all. Instead, he had inquired meticulously about many daily trifles. This overly concerned manner of questioning inexplicably reminded him of an arranged blind date set up by an elder.
"I'm probably overthinking it..." Shimizu shook his head and put the phone back in his pocket. After all, aren't older people always chatty like that?
Chapter 069 Ryuen, How Many Millions Do You Plan to Offer to Rent Your Class's Surveillance?
"Ibuki-san?"
A soft call pulled Ibuki Mio back from her cluttered memories. Before she knew it, a silver-haired girl was standing by her desk, her voice filled with concern: "Is your body... okay?"
Shiina Hiyori's tone was gentle as always, yet it made Ibuki Mio instinctively stiffen her back.
"Ah! I'm fine!" She snapped her spine straight, intentionally leaning her chair back with a loud creak.
"Don't forget, I've trained in martial arts."
She brandished a fist with a hint of bravado, but accidentally aggravated a wound that hadn't yet healed, causing the corner of her mouth to twitch almost imperceptibly.
"You... still haven't handed over your points, have you?" Shiina's voice was as light as a sigh. "Even Ishizaki and Yamada, who resisted him the most at the start, have now..."
Ibuki Mio whipped her head around to scan the classroom, only then noticing that those former troublemakers were, as usual, following Ryuen Kakeru out to do his bidding. How ridiculous—those two had somehow become Ryuen's thugs.
"Are you kidding me..." Her fist hidden under the desk clenched until her knuckles turned white. "How could I ever submit to a piece of trash like that..."
On the third day of school, Ryuen Kakeru had ordered the entire class to hand over 80,000 points each as a "class fee" for the month. At first, many refused, but he beat them into submission one by one. As the days passed and they entered the second week, even Yamada couldn't hold out. Only she was still holding her ground.
"It's absurd! Those people in the Student Council actually asked me for evidence? They won't even perform a basic investigation!" Ibuki Mio kicked her desk hard. The dull thud made the students in the front row turn back in terror.
"You actually went directly to the Student Council to report Ryuen..." Shiina Hiyori's voice was extremely low. "If he finds out..."
Suddenly, the back door of the classroom was kicked open violently.
Ryuen Kakeru paced in like a predator inspecting his territory, with Ishizaki standing beside him like a guard.
"Heh... he's really putting on the airs of a King." Ibuki Mio intentionally raised her voice.
Ryuen's footsteps came to a halt in front of their desk. "A King, huh... that's a nice title." His eyes sharpened instantly, locking onto Ibuki Mio. "As for you, you seem more like a rebellious subject."
"You—!"
Ibuki Mio lunged up, clenching her fists as anger flared in her eyes, but Shiina Hiyori gently caught her sleeve. Hiyori shook her head slightly, her gaze calm and restrained, signaling her not to be impulsive.
"...Hmph, get lost!" Ryuen sneered, his contemptuous gaze sweeping over the two of them. "I'm in a good mood today, I can't be bothered with you." Having said that, he lazily pulled out his phone, his fingers tapping rapidly on the screen.
Ibuki froze and looked down at her own screen—a new message had flashed in the class group chat:
Ryuen Kakeru: Everyone, in ten minutes, get your asses to the classroom for a meeting! Don't wait for me to come "invite" you personally.
Ibuki Mio understood instantly. That man... had likely found some key intelligence again. She bit her lip, forced to admit a bitter truth—even though Ryuen's methods were utterly despicable: violent coercion, verbal deception, secret recordings... nothing but underhanded tricks. But tragically, these low-life tactics were undeniably effective.
'Otherwise... aside from me, the rest of the class wouldn't have obediently handed over those 80,000 personal points...'
Less than half a month since school started, almost everyone hated and feared Ryuen Kakeru, but they had to acknowledge his capability.
Ibuki kept her eyes glued to the classroom door. Sure enough, after seven or eight minutes, the previously scattered seats were all filled.
"Starting today, everyone—" Ryuen crossed his arms, his sharp gaze sweeping across every student below the podium. "Be in class on time! No being late! No playing on your phones! No fighting! And absolutely no sleeping in class!" His voice slammed into the room like a sledgehammer. "Any behavior that violates school rules—cut it out!"
The classroom fell into an eerie silence. All the students stared with wide eyes, looking at the figure on the podium in disbelief—this problem student who usually took the lead in breaking rules and worshipped violence was now reciting the code of a "model student."
"...I see." Shiina Hiyori's eyes widened slightly as she whispered thoughtfully.
"Hah?!" Ibuki Mio blurted out, her face a mask of incredulity.
'This guy Ryuen... has his brain rotted? He's actually acting like a model student?'
"Hmph, I knew that except for Shiina, you bunch of idiots wouldn't be able to figure it out." Ryuen sneered with disdain and then snapped his fingers. "Ishizaki! Play that!"
"Understood!" Ishizaki Daichi caught the cue immediately and quickly produced a voice recorder.
The recorder began to play. Amidst the grainy static, a clear conversation emerged:
"...At this rate, Class A will firmly hold first place next month."
"Exactly. Especially those guys in Class C and Class D; just from violating school rules last week, they've lost a lot of class points."
"How many points do you estimate we'll get next month?"
"According to Sakayanagi-san's calculations, at least 950 points."
"In that case, we should receive over 90,000 personal points in our accounts next month."
Bang! Ryuen suddenly slammed a fist onto the podium, shaking loose a cloud of chalk dust. He looked down at everyone in Class C, his mouth curling into a dangerous arc: "Now, do you understand?"
Ryuen stood there with one hand in his pocket, his posture reeking of impatience as if mocking the entire class for their dullness.
A commotion finally broke out in the room. "What are Class Points?" "It seems they're closely linked to our Personal Points!" "Does that mean? Violating school rules gets Class Points deducted?! Why didn't the school explain this from the start!"
Ryuen's fingertips tapped a dangerous rhythm on the podium. He looked down at the whispering students, a flicker of mockery in his eyes.
'A bunch of irredeemable morons...
Even after hearing the recording, they still don't get what it means?
Why does it feel like everyone except me and Shiina Hiyori is a complete idiot? Our class is too weak!
If Class C is this weak, Class D must be a bunch of garbage! Heh~ it seems only Class B and Class A are real opponents.
Fortunately, the superiority complex of those honor students gave me an opportunity.'
The scene from the cafeteria a few days ago surfaced in his mind—the silver-haired girl with the cane looking down with that gaze, as if admiring a flock of sheep waiting to be slaughtered. That nauseating superiority had instead become the best hint.
Later, he had sent people to investigate her identity. The girl with the cane was Sakayanagi Arisu of Class A, one of their leaders. So, when he passed by Class A last night, he specifically planted two bugs at the door. He hadn't expected to hear such "blockbuster" content right after school today.
A cold smile tugged at his lips.
'Information warfare... there's more than one way to solve the puzzle.
Even if I don't know the intel... scouting it from the mouths of other classes who do know is a strategic method.
Since I can't send in spies this time, bugs will have to do.'
His phone spun in his palm as he quickly pulled up a certain contact's interface.
Ryuen Kakeru: Give it a rest, loser. Did you really think that bit of intel was worth 1 million points?
Ryuen Kakeru: Those so-called "hidden rules" of yours? I've known them for a long time.
He slammed his thumb down on the send button. The recipient's name was "Yue." When he first received the friend request from this mysterious person a few days ago, he hadn't taken them seriously at all.
However, to his surprise, the other party not only replied quickly but threw out even more startling words.
Yue: It seems you already know? That saves the trouble of explaining.
Yue: We can get straight to the point and talk about the next transaction.
Ryuen stared at the screen, his brow furrowed.
Ryuen Kakeru: Wait, don't you just sell intel?
Yue: What year is it? Who only sells intel anymore.
Yue: Let me see, hmm? Your whole class is present... this makes it even more convenient.
Ryuen's heart jolted. He whipped his head up to scan the room—the classroom door was clearly locked!
"You're bugging me?" he muttered instinctively.
Yue: It's not a bug. I'm looking at you fair and square through the two surveillance cameras in your classroom.
Yue: So, Ryuen-kun, how many millions of points do you plan to offer to rent these two surveillance cameras for your class?
Chapter 070 Smashing the Cameras / Was It Sakayanagi Arisu?
"Tch... I've been played!"
Ryuen Kakeru's knuckles slammed heavily onto the desk, his expression so dark it looked like it could drip ink. He stared fixedly at the surveillance camera blinking with a red light on the ceiling, as if trying to burn a hole through it with his gaze.
'Who exactly is pulling the strings behind the scenes?'
The thought whirled frantically in his mind. He saw through the opponent's calculation almost instantly—the surveillance permissions were a Sword of Damocles hanging over his head. Those continuous monitoring feeds were like silent mockery, blaring a clear declaration: either pay a high price in points to buy out the rights, or live under surveillance forever.
"Renting surveillance? This school really carries the principle of 'Points are Everything' to the absolute extreme." Ryuen squeezed a cold sneer through his teeth. His account did indeed have over 3 million points collected from the class over the past few days. These class funds, which should have been his pride and joy, had become someone else's prize in the blink of an eye.
Ryuen pondered for a moment and decisively sent a message to his homeroom teacher, Sakagami Kazuma.
Ryuen Kakeru: How many points are needed to rent the campus monitoring room?
Sakagami Kazuma: You can't. The school just issued a notice prohibiting students from purchasing, renting, using, or replacing any campus equipment. In short, the right of final interpretation belongs to the school.
"Just prohibited?" Ryuen's pupils contracted suddenly.
"Doesn't that mean... the opponent was the first one to take the plunge!"
He immediately realized the gravity of the situation. His fingers tapped the screen rapidly, tentatively sending a message to Yue Qing.
Ryuen Kakeru: How much do you want?
The reply was concise and direct.
Yue Qing: 3 million points.
"Dammit!" Ryuen's hand holding the phone trembled slightly, and his back was instantly drenched in cold sweat.
That number was terrifyingly precise—it was exactly the total balance of his class fund account today. This mysterious person not only had a thorough grasp of his financial situation but was also opening a lion's mouth, attempting to swallow his entire class fund reserve in one gulp.
More frighteningly, this meant the opponent's surveillance of him might have started long ago; he didn't even know who they were.
"Just when did it start..." Ryuen grit his teeth.
He had thought his method of using bugs to gather intel on Class A was brilliant enough, but in the face of this mysterious person who openly charged fees via the surveillance system, it was practically child's play. This all-encompassing monitoring and precise control over information was a confrontation on a completely different level.
Ryuen's temples throbbed. The feeling of being backed into a corner made his blood boil.
'It's not a second-year... Vice President Nagumo isn't that boring. The third-year Student Council President would look down on this...
So, it can only be a point-starved freshman from the first year?'
"Ryuen! What's wrong?" Ishizaki Daichi noticed his boss's abnormal expression and hurried over with concern. When he caught a glimpse of the message on the phone screen, his eyes bulged.
"What?! Someone is using the classroom cameras to spy on our class?!" Ishizaki blurted out, his rough voice exploding in the classroom.
"What's going on? Since when?"
"Speak clearly!"
"Aren't these cameras installed by the school?"
The once quiet Class C instantly fell into a commotion. Students chimed in with questions, panic spreading like ripples.
"Shut the hell up!" Ryuen froze for a moment before furiously kicking Ishizaki.
He hadn't intended to reveal the truth to these idiots—it would only shake the foundations of the rule he had worked so hard to build. He hadn't expected his teammate to be such a loudmouth.
"Ryuen!" Ishizaki rubbed his aching backside, his eyes wide with a wronged expression.
But Ryuen didn't even bother to give him a second glance. His mind was racing, weighing the pros and cons. Accept forced surveillance? The humiliation made his stomach cramp. As a hunter accustomed to controlling the board, he had now become a trapped beast in someone else's web.
But the cold lens of the camera was like an unblinking eye, making him feel like needles were pricking his back. Destroy the equipment? Too naive.
The opponent controlled the permissions; smashing the hardware was futile. It might even lead to a massive deduction of—
CRASH!
A deafening sound of shattering interrupted his thoughts. Ryuen spun around to see Ishizaki holding a chair high, the surveillance equipment above him already in pieces, wires dangling like severed snake tails.
"Since the problem is the camera, smashing it solves it!" Ishizaki grinned with a victorious smile, pride written all over his face.
"Great idea!"
"That way we won't get class points deducted!"
A few scattered voices of agreement actually rose in the classroom, and some boys even began rubbing their hands together.
'Did these morons leave their brains at home?'
Ryuen felt his temples throb as the string named "sanity" snapped. He lunged up and kicked the back of Ishizaki's knee. The latter collapsed to the ground, caught off guard.
"Do you have water in your brain? The surveillance data is transmitted through a network! What's the use of smashing this terminal? The school can replace it with a new one in minutes! By destroying school property like this, what are you going to use to make up for the class points being wiped out?"
Fine beads of sweat broke out on Ishizaki's forehead. He opened his mouth but could only lower his head in defeat.
"Ryuen... I messed up this time. I'll listen to you from now on! I'll do whatever you say! If you tell me to go east, I'll never go west."
"Get out! Go back to your seat and stay there! Don't do anything! I can't be bothered with you right now!"
Ryuen suddenly realized the camera was recording his loss of control. This would undoubtedly bring even harsher penalties to the class.
"Dammit... looks like I have no choice but to rent it!" He grit his teeth, forced to make the decision.
On second thought, acquiring the surveillance rights wasn't entirely without merit. It could effectively counter the spying from the shadows and avoid the risk of losing class points due to disciplinary issues. Originally, he was confident that his iron-fisted rule was enough to make the idiots of Class C submit. But reality had given him a slap to the face—some people are just "rotten wood that cannot be carved"; no amount of intimidation or bribery could change their stupid nature.
In that case, renting the surveillance was better; at least it provided a safety net. This transaction was like poisoned honey—dangerous, yet he had to swallow it.
Ryuen's sinister gaze swept over the students in the classroom.
'...Are there no talents who use their brains?'
His gaze finally stopped on Shiina Hiyori in the corner—in the entire Class C, only this silver-haired girl was watching him with a thoughtful look. Ryuen felt it was utterly absurd. This school, which claimed to value ability above all else, had sorted a bunch of brawny idiots into the same class as him.
'Who is the real Class D here...
If I hadn't used force to rule the class so quickly, wouldn't these people have already lost all our class points?'
He couldn't help but clench his fists. But the fire of being toyed with burned hotter in his chest, especially when he thought of a certain possibility—
'A silver... spiderweb...'
Ryuen suddenly bared a dangerous smile.
'Is it your doing!... Sakayanagi Arisu... After all, your father is the Chairman! Buying surveillance rights from him would make sense!'
If she really was the one pulling the strings, then this game was truly interesting—using the points he extorted to extort him back. It was a genius "eye for an eye" move.
'Is this your revenge, Sakayanagi? Could it be that you found out I intercepted your class's hidden intel?'
"Hahaha! This is getting more and more interesting!"
Ryuen suddenly burst into loud laughter, scaring the surrounding students into silence. He roughly wiped away tears of laughter, his eyes becoming even sharper.
The cat-and-mouse game had just begun, and what he loved most was dragging a high-and-mighty queen off her pedestal.