Chapter 101 Shimizu Akira: Can't Laugh, Must Hold It Back! Everything is Going According to Plan
Shimizu Akira's arrival at the library was, naturally, not to find mystery books—he had come specifically for Shiina Hiyori of Class C.
That was why he had rejected Ichinose's invitation from Class B and made his way toward the mystery bookshelf.
'There she is.'
He thought he would have to spend some effort searching, but to his surprise, Shiina Hiyori was standing right on the other side of the shelf, holding that classic, Murder on the Orient Express.
"Shimizu-kun... we meet again." Shiina Hiyori closed her book and took the initiative to speak.
"Shiina-san, good afternoon." Akira's tone betrayed nothing unusual. "I didn't expect to run into you at the library; what a coincidence. Come to think of it, I remember you saying last time you had business and wouldn't be coming to the library—are you finished with your errands?"
This was a lie. This man had already confirmed through his "Daily Intel" that she would appear here this afternoon; these words were merely to test the progress of her investigation.
"Um... yes! I suppose so." Shiina Hiyori stole a quick glance at him, her voice soft.
"I just came to the library to look at some books..."
This was also a lie.
This woman had clearly come here to find an assistant, but not wanting him to realize it, she lied subconsciously.
Shiina Hiyori's eyes suddenly lit up, like a detective discovering a key clue. Her gaze fell on the book Akira reached for on the shelf. She stared at the title.
'In/Spectre... [Fictional Reasoning]?'
"Shimizu-kun, have you read this book?" Her voice rose several decibels, and her fingers instinctively tightened around the book in her arms.
"I haven't read the original light novel," Akira flipped through the pages casually, the paper making a crisp sound.
"But I've read quite a few chapters of the manga version."
Shiina Hiyori suddenly leaned forward, her hair swaying slightly with the movement.
"Really? Which arc did you get to?"
"The Snow Woman arc. The part where Kotoko-san solves the incident at the hot spring inn."
This was the truth. In his previous life, he really did like In/Spectre—incidentally, he had seen both the original manga and the anime adaptation in their entirety.
"That arc is absolutely wonderful!" She moved half a step forward without realizing it, gesturing in the air.
"Especially that sense of push-and-pull ambiguity between the male protagonist and the Snow Woman..."
'I finally met someone I can discuss this with...'
Her voice suddenly stopped as she realized she was being overly excited, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks. But her thirst for knowledge quickly overcame her shyness: "Then... which arc does Shimizu-kun like the most?"
Akira stroked the spine of the book thoughtfully.
"Probably the Steel Lady Nanase arc. When truth can have countless explanations, the essence of 'reasoning' is basically just seeing who can talk the most nonsense."
Shiina Hiyori widened her eyes slightly. "...Nonsense?"
She suddenly let out a light laugh, the corners of her eyes curving into crescents.
"When you put it that way, the entirety of In/Spectre really is just talking nonsense with a straight face. However—"
Her fingertip lightly tapped her chin, revealing a detective-like look of concentration.
"This setting of 'using fiction to combat fiction' is quite a unique innovation in the history of mystery. It's like stuffing post-modern deconstructionism into the framework of a Honkaku [orthodox] mystery..."
Her voice cut off abruptly as she realized she was rambling again.
Akira naturally picked up the thread: "Indeed. Compared to traditional mysteries that pursue a single solution, this method feels more like..." He paused intentionally.
"A multi-layered metaphor for real society? Just like modern people; they often only care about the 'truth' they want to know."
"Mm-hmm." Shiina Hiyori nodded instinctively, a glint of recognition flashing in her eyes.
As expected, she hadn't been wrong; Shimizu-kun also loved mystery works. Furthermore, the two of them communicated exceptionally smoothly—this feeling that "the other person can catch everything you say, and every sentence has an echo" made a warmth bloom in her heart.
She couldn't help but steal another glance at him. Shimizu-kun's looks were outstanding; at least in Class C, she had never seen such a clean and handsome type. Not to mention he could strike up a natural conversation with Ichinose from Class B just now...
'Wait... in that case, isn't he the perfect candidate for the partner I'm looking for?'
Shiina Hiyori seemed to suddenly realize something, her mouth parting slightly, a look of surprise flashing in her eyes. Every single requirement she had listed—he actually met them all! Today was like her lucky day.
Just as she was about to speak her true purpose, a flicker of doubt crossed her mind. But... why was it such a coincidence? She had only decided to come to the library on a whim today, and he just happened to appear? The way the corners of his mouth curled when talking about mysteries, his effortless posture when talking to Class B students, and the way his frequency of thought perfectly matched her own right now—it was all too ideal.
She suddenly remembered that line from Malice: "A coincidence that is too perfect is often proof of careful design."
"Um... Shimizu-kun." Her voice was so light it almost melted into the air. "Did you... come to the library today specifically to borrow mystery novels?"
"...Not specifically, it was just a passing thought." Akira shook his head.
"I've been coming to the library for half a month already—I've been tutoring here with a classmate. I wanted to relax today, so I came over to find a mystery book to read."
"The midterms are coming up in about a month, aren't they?" He gave a wry smile and rubbed the back of his neck; this casual little gesture suddenly made him feel very real.
"I don't want to be expelled just because I failed a subject like Japanese."
He pulled a neatly folded memo from his pocket.
Shiina Hiyori's gaze inadvertently swept over the paper, seeing it densely packed with basic Japanese knowledge, common exam errors, and even a detailed daily study plan.
'So it's true...
His primary purpose for coming to the library is to study, and reading mystery novels is just a leisure activity for his spare time.'
This discovery brought a sudden realization to Hiyori. Indeed, coming to the library for tutoring for half a month straight and then browsing his favorite mystery novels after finishing his tasks—such an arrangement couldn't be more reasonable.
She remembered during their first meeting, Shimizu-kun had mentioned that he occasionally read light-novel-style mysteries, and In/Spectre fit that category perfectly. Not to mention that Ichinose-san had just confirmed he had been appearing in the library frequently lately.
"Then I won't disturb you any further, Shiina-san. I'm heading back to the dorm." Akira noticed the girl lost in thought, tucked the memo back into his pocket, picked up the copy of In/Spectre, and gave a small nod, preparing to leave.
The moment he turned around, he began a mental countdown.
'5... 4...'
"Shimizu-kun, please wait!" As expected, a slightly hurried call came from behind.
"Actually... there's something I'd like to ask of you!"
'Two seconds faster than expected.'
A faint, barely perceptible smile appeared on Akira's lips.
Chapter 102 Shiina Hiyori: The Mysterious Person is Likely from Class D, Right, Shimizu-kun?
Shimizu Akira had always believed in a certain philosophy of life: In this world, people often do not cherish things that come easily. Only those things obtained through twists, turns, and deliberate effort are truly taken to heart.
This logic applied equally to interpersonal relationships. Therefore, from the moment Akira stepped into the library, he had made up his mind—he would absolutely not take the initiative to speak to Shiina Hiyori.
Only when every stage of the process was pushed forward by her would he be able to become her assistant in the most natural manner possible.
Things progressed exactly as expected. The moment he picked up In/Spectre, Shiina Hiyori couldn't wait to approach him. Akira went with the flow and opened the dialogue; everything was falling into place.
However, a hiccup occurred—during their conversation, the girl suddenly became hesitant and fell into silence. Akira originally thought he would receive an invitation next, but instead, he was met with a cautious probe.
Shiina Hiyori's perceptiveness exceeded his estimates.
Fortunately, he was prepared. Anticipating that she might question the timing of his appearance in the library, he had prepared a perfect explanation in advance.
Finally, he calmly revealed the memo that Horikita Suzune had given him at noon. As he suspected, the suspicion in Shiina Hiyori's eyes faded considerably.
After all, Akira hadn't told a single lie—except for his true motive, every word he said to Shiina Hiyori was the truth. For the past half-month, he indeed came to the library every day for tutoring.
He calculated that it was about time for her to extend the invitation.
"Shimizu-kun, please wait!" Shiina Hiyori called out to him, her voice carrying a hint of apology.
"Actually... I want to invite you to be my assistant to help investigate the incident regarding the rental of surveillance equipment last month. I want to find out that person's true identity."
As she explained the situation in detail, Akira showed an appropriately surprised expression, as if he knew nothing of the matter. Just as he had planned, the assistant Shiina Hiyori needed was precisely someone to handle the parts she was bad at—such as gathering clues from strangers or filling in the gaps during the deductive process.
"I won't let you help for nothing, of course," Shiina Hiyori said softly.
"I am willing to pay 20,000... no, 30,000 personal points as a reward. I expect I'll only need your help for a few actions; it won't take up too much of your time, and it certainly won't affect your study progress."
Akira's brow twitched—this was an unexpected bonus. He had originally come to the library just to get close to her; he hadn't expected to earn an extra sum on the side.
"Deal," he nodded readily. "For 30,000 points, I accept this commission."
Since his goal was to infiltrate the investigation team anyway, this was killing two birds with one stone.
"Then let's exchange contact information first." When Shiina Hiyori took out her phone, Akira keenly noticed her gaze secretly sizing up his phone screen.
'She's checking the account nickname and the balance...'
Akira amused himself inwardly. He was well-prepared; he had logged into his main account but left less than 40,000 points in it—a number that wouldn't look suspicious but was enough to handle daily expenses. He generously turned his screen toward her, letting her look.
"Happy collaborating, Shimizu-kun." Shiina Hiyori nodded slightly, her fingers sliding quickly across her screen.
"No time like the present. Could I trouble you to go and ask Ichinose-san a few questions right now?"
Akira raised an eyebrow.
"What specifically do you need me to ask?" He found it privately amusing; this "Lady Detective" likely never imagined that the subject of her investigation was standing right in front of her.
Shiina Hiyori lowered her voice: "Ichinose-san once asked around for Ryuen Kakeru's contact info. I hope you can feel her out to see if she's the one who rented the cameras, or at least confirm evidence of communication between them."
"If I'm to ask that..." Akira mused, "I'll need to reveal to Ichinose that Class C rented the surveillance. Otherwise, it will be hard to get her to cooperate. But if it is her, she might refuse to answer, so be prepared for that."
Shiina Hiyori hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded her consent.
"Understood." Akira turned and walked toward the Class B study group. Ignoring the dissatisfied glints in the other boys' eyes, he spoke directly to Ichinose Honami: "Can we have a word in private?"
Ichinose looked at Shiina Hiyori in the distance with slight surprise, but she followed him out regardless: "Shimizu-kun... is there something you and Shiina-san from Class C need from me?" Despite Class C's recent harassment of Class B, she maintained a gentle attitude.
Akira got straight to the point: "Ryuen Kakeru of Class C rented surveillance last month. Shiina-san has commissioned me to investigate this. According to her, Ichinose-san once asked for Ryuen's contact information, and immediately after, Ryuen received a friend request from a mysterious person. So, we wanted to confirm: Are you the one who rented the surveillance? Or do you know who it is?"
"It's not me!" Ichinose frankly took out her phone, displaying a chat log with a user named [Yue].
"I only asked for Ryuen's contact info because I was asked to by this person. Actually... Class B rented surveillance too! Although 3 million points was a bit expensive, it did help us gain over 100 Class Points. I didn't expect you to investigate this specifically."
"Shimizu-kun... do you take commissions from others to earn points? Class D..." Ichinose suddenly asked with concern, "Are you very short on points? If you need them, I could send you a few tens of thousands..."
'This girl is too kind...' Akira's mouth twitched slightly. He felt a strange pang of guilt, as if he were deceiving an innocent girl.
"Thank you for your kindness, Ichinose-san, but my points are sufficient." After a polite refusal, he walked quickly back to Shiina Hiyori.
The two sat down at a reading table in the corner.
Shiina Hiyori was lost in thought: "From the chat logs Ichinose provided, she indeed isn't the one who rented the surveillance. However... I didn't expect this mysterious person would sell the surveillance rights to Class B as well." She suddenly looked up. "According to that logic, Class D must have rented surveillance too, right? Otherwise, it would be impossible to suddenly gain 530 Class Points, especially since Class C only got 640 points for renting them."
"Um... your reasoning is sound." Akira looked slightly surprised, but on second thought, he realized he couldn't hide this from the detective girl.
"Actually..." Shiina Hiyori suddenly gave a light laugh, "I discovered an even more interesting detail—since the mysterious person knew Ichinose-san knows many people, yet never asked her for a Class D contact. What does that mean?"
She looked directly into Akira's eyes: "The other party likely already had the contact info for your Class D leaders. In other words! The mysterious person is very likely one of the contacts of your Class D leaders—perhaps even a classmate from your own Class D."
Akira nodded calmly on the surface: "That is indeed a possibility."
Inside, however, he was somewhat shocked. With just a few lines of conversation, Shiina Hiyori could deduce things to this extent?!
This was bad! In a few more days, was he going to be "doxxed" by her?
Chapter 103 Chabashira Sae: Intel That Can Be Bought for 50,000 Points
Dinner time had arrived.
The two ended their conversation with mutual understanding and went their separate ways. Shimizu Akira watched Shiina Hiyori's receding figure, a trace of doubt flickering in his mind. She actually hadn't pressed him on the identity of the core figures in Class D—that was quite unexpected. Perhaps it was out of consideration for the competitive relationship between their classes.
Upon parting, Hiyori told him she would inform him via text before launching the next investigation. Akira nodded in agreement, but secretly calculated in his heart: next time, he absolutely could not let her obtain information so easily.
He had to admit, Hiyori's reasoning was very sound. From an objective perspective, if Ichinose Honami knew almost the entire school year, there was truly no reason for the "mysterious person" to only ask for Ryuen Kakeru's contact information. After all, Class D had also rented the surveillance equipment.
Everything pointed to an obvious conclusion: the "mysterious person" must know the core members of Class D.
The facts were exactly as she suspected; he hadn't made the same request to Ichinose simply because he was already friends with Kushida Kikyo. Akira felt he had been a bit careless; he hadn't been completely thorough in covering his tracks. He really hadn't expected a student to be hiding a character like a detective.
But on second thought, even if his identity were revealed, it didn't seem that bad. Ichinose from Class B had already told him she didn't mind. In Class D, Kushida Kikyo had stated plainly at yesterday's class meeting that getting 530 Class Points was already great—after all, past Class Ds usually hovered around the 200 to 300 mark.
As for Class A... Sakayanagi Arisu was surely full of schemes, just waiting to see him become a laughingstock. Then there was Ryuen Kakeru of Class C. Neither of those two would let him off easily. Especially Ryuen; Akira really couldn't fathom what the man was thinking.
'Who has nothing better to do than send a classmate to investigate something like this? That Ryuen guy is really bored!'
So he took 3 million personal points from him; didn't their Class Points increase as well? Was it necessary to hunt him down like this? Did he really value personal points that much? Shouldn't his priority be raising Class Points to strive for Class A? Or did he plan to save up 20 million points to transfer classes alone? But looking at his usual behavior, that didn't seem likely.
Akira had seen his performance on the surveillance—though his actions were indeed based on "might makes right," for Class C as a whole, he was a literal "shot of adrenaline." He was
clearly dragging Class C forward single-handedly. Surely he wasn't planning to save 800 million to "buy" all forty classmates into Class A at once?
-
-
-
When he pushed open his dorm room door, his phone screen lit up right on cue. Akira swiped the lock screen and found that Sato-senpai had already sent over the monthly and midterm exam papers from their freshman year—albeit in screenshot format.
'As expected, he couldn't give me the original physical papers...'
He completely understood the other party's concerns. Since this was information provided for free, the senpai would inevitably face trouble if the school discovered physical papers were being circulated. Getting clear screenshots was already difficult enough; if he wanted paper versions, he would have to print them himself.
Akira sat cross-legged on the edge of his bed, his fingertips sliding lightly across the screen, examining these precious materials one by one. Sato-senpai's report card was very pleasing to the eye—every subject was stable at 95 points or higher. But on second thought, as a Class A elite with access to past exam questions, achieving such a score was only logical.
Setting his phone aside, Akira pulled several test papers out of his shoulder bag that had just been handed back last week. The teachers of each subject were remarkably efficient, having finished grading and returning them yesterday. He spread the new and old papers side-by-side on his desk, his gaze moving back and forth between the two.
'This similarity...'
While he couldn't say they were identical, at least 90% of the questions were exactly the same. The basic sections changed occasionally, but those high-scoring "final boss" questions that gave most students headaches—from the prompt to the steps for solving them, and even the punctuation—were reproduced exactly.
Akira placed the papers down gently and sank into thought.
'With this, at least I don't have to worry about passing the midterms...'
He made a rough estimate—even if the questions varied slightly, any student who could completely memorize the past papers could easily snag a score of 90. However...
'English is another matter entirely.'
For students with a weak foundation, English would likely be the biggest stumbling block. If they couldn't even understand basic vocabulary and had to mechanically memorize every single letter by rote, it would be a nightmare—it might take more effort than all the other subjects combined.
Akira shook his head. Even if the failing students were lucky enough to get the old questions, they would still have to rack their brains and spend double the energy to force their way through English. This was likely what people called the "knowledge barrier."
Akira stared at the papers in his hand, his brow furrowing instinctively.
'A test of this level... isn't it a bit too simple?'
He absolutely did not believe the school would design such a straightforward assessment. On second thought, the leaders of the other classes must have noticed too—those last few major questions on the exam couldn't be perfected through conventional study alone. While reaching the passing line was easy with the basic sections...
'Is just passing enough?'
Students of all four classes only needed to pass to avoid expulsion, but... what if they scored even better? Would there be extra rewards?
The moment this thought appeared, Akira grabbed his phone and quickly sent a message to his homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae:
[Will there be extra point rewards based on the class average for the midterms?]
It was worth noting that ever since Akira had bluntly told her last month "don't come to me about class business anymore," the two had barely been in contact. He just didn't know if she was still angry about that and would intentionally ignore his question.
But Akira didn't care much—as a student, asking his homeroom teacher about the rules was perfectly reasonable. If anything, it was the teacher who was out of line, repeatedly asking for his opinion despite having a class representative to consult.
To his surprise, Chabashira Sae's reply was exceptionally slow. When the phone finally vibrated, the screen displayed:
[50,000 personal points can answer this question.]
Akira's finger froze in mid-air.
'Does this count as... a veiled admission?'
Wasn't the teacher's reaction essentially a roundabout confirmation of his guess? However, he thought about it carefully; he still needed to pay the points to buy the specifics.
After all, acknowledging it was one thing, but how many Class Points the school specifically gave as a reward and what the specific assessment criteria were constituted a very important piece of intelligence.
Chapter 104 Karuizawa Kei Skipped the Boxing Club
Shimizu Akira stared at his phone screen, lost in thought for a moment, before finally transferring 50,000 points from his secondary account.
As the notification ping for a successful transfer sounded, he let out a soft breath—this information was indeed worth the price.
Chabashira Sae's reply popped up quickly:
[You guessed correctly. The school rewards Class Points based on the average score of each class in the midterm exams, with a maximum reward of 100 points.]
This brief message allowed Akira to instantly grasp the school's deep intentions.
'But a perfect 100 points... that's probably impossible.'
Every class inevitably had underperforming students. Achieving a perfect score in a single subject was difficult enough, let alone across all subjects. However, if they could make good use of the previous years' exam papers—combining those references with serious study—pulling the class average up to around 90 should not be an issue.
It seemed that merely passing wasn't enough; if a class wanted more Class Points, everyone had to work hard together.
Akira rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
'It seems the strategy of "score suppression" won't work...'
The score suppression tactic, as the name implied, involved high-achieving students intentionally keeping their scores near the passing line. By lowering the overall average, struggling students might only need to score 20 points to ensure the class as a whole passed. But now, it seemed this clever trick would backfire, as the Class Points rewarded would decrease accordingly.
'Truly a dilemma...'
Deliberately lowering scores might help the "bottom-tier" students pass, but it would lead to a slump in the class average, affecting the acquisition of Class Points. On the other hand, if the top students sprinted for high marks, the average would significantly increase, but the struggling students would find it even harder to reach the threshold relative to the average.
In other words, the optimal solution seemed to be buying the old questions from the upperclassmen and having the academically weaker students memorize them thoroughly.
Then again, he wasn't the Class Representative of Class D... The overall interest of the class? That shouldn't have been his concern in the first place.
Suddenly, Horikita Manabu's meaningful words from before finally became clear in his mind—"A class can never get zero points."
Indeed. It was impossible for every single person in the class to turn in a blank sheet and score zero! Even Class D would have one or two top-tier students.
A new question suddenly surfaced in Akira's mind. He quickly picked up his phone:
[Do the second and third years have a similar mechanism?]
Chabashira's reply came swiftly:
[Both the second and third years retain this mechanism; consider it a bonus reward.]
Akira twirled his pen pensively, suddenly realizing the subtle differences between the school's grade levels.
'The second-year position... is unexpectedly comfortable.'
As the middle grade, second-year students truly held all the advantages—they could buy old papers from the third-years to ensure high scores, and sell their own old papers to the first-years to earn points. This month, just by reselling exam questions, they could easily secure two substantial streams of income.
In contrast, the situation for the third-years was completely different. The senpais nearing graduation could no longer buy old papers from a higher level; it was as if an important resource supply had been suddenly cut off.
'But... that makes sense.'
After all, for graduates about to leave the school, midterm exam results were no longer vital. The school's arrangement felt like a "graduation ritual"—letting the third-year students gradually break away from this cycle of exam-trading to prepare for university or society.
.
.
.
Just as Akira was about to follow up with Chabashira Sae, his phone vibrated twice in quick succession. A message from Sato-senpai jumped out:
[By the way, that Karuizawa Kei you introduced. She didn't come to the boxing club today.] [She didn't ask for leave either. Can you help me check on her? Is she feeling unwell?]
He stared at the screen, momentarily stunned.
Come to think of it, when he went to the boxing club this afternoon, he indeed hadn't seen that lively figure who always wore her hair in a ponytail. Usually at this time, Karuizawa Kei would have been busy running around—checking attendance, distributing mineral water and towels, or recording the physical condition of the newcomers.
He quickly switched back to the chat interface. His fingers hovered over the keyboard for a moment before he finally replied to Sato-senpai: [Okay, I'll contact her now.]
Since he was the one who brought her there, being questioned by the senior like this made Akira feel a bit embarrassed. Sato-senpai had been quite good to him.
He scrolled through his contacts and dialed Karuizawa Kei's number.
"Beep—" The call was picked up surprisingly fast.
"Hello! Shimizu-kun?" Karuizawa Kei's voice came through the receiver, crisp and bright. "Is there something you need?"
This energetic tone left Akira momentarily speechless—obviously, the excuse of "feeling unwell" was non-existent. The faint sound of noisy music and laughter coming from the other end made him instinctively frown.
"Where are you right now?" he asked, his voice puzzled.
"Karaoke~" Kei answered nonchalantly. In the background, he could hear Chiaki Mori singing off-key. "I'm out singing with Mori and the others!"
Akira explained his reason.
"You didn't go to the boxing club this afternoon. President Sato specifically came to ask me. It doesn't sound like you're feeling unwell."
The other end went quiet for a few seconds.
"Going to help out at the boxing club every day is just too tiring~" Her voice carried a flirtatious, lighthearted tone.
"So I wanted to relax for a day."
"You should have at least asked for leave," Akira replied rationally.
There was a brief silence, followed by a carefree chuckle: "...I just forgot today, that's all."
"Fine, I see," Akira nodded.
"Just remember to file a retroactive leave with President Sato if you don't feel like going. I won't disturb your fun then. Goodbye."
After hanging up, a look of confusion appeared on Akira's face.
'What's wrong with her? During the first two weeks of last month, she was clearly proactive, even reminding me to report to the boxing club.
Why did she suddenly stop going today? Without even asking for leave?'
Thinking back carefully, ever since that day she visited his dorm and spoke with Matsushita Chiaki, her attitude had become exceptionally bold—as if she had suddenly gained some kind of leverage.
'Actually, I think she also borrowed several sums of points from people in the class yesterday...'
He narrowed his eyes, recalling Karuizawa Kei's recent abnormal behaviors. It felt like she was slowly becoming a different person.
"She should understand that she and I only signed a one-month protection agreement—once the deadline hits, if she can't produce the 80,000 points, I won't protect her anymore."
Akira thought about it further. Based on this month's points, Kei might not actually be able to come up with 80,000. In a sense, the boxing club could completely replace him in protecting her. Those 80,000 points were no longer as important to him as they were last month.
The agreement last month started on the Friday of the first week. In other words, once this weekend was over, he and she would be completely finished with each other.
Chapter 105 Karuizawa Kei: No Points Left, What Should I Do!
The neon light patterns in the karaoke booth danced across Karuizawa Kei's face. As soon as she put down her phone, Sato Maya leaned in, nudging her shoulder mischievously.
"Ooh~ another call from Shimizu-kun?" Maya winked. "Is he checking up on you? When did you two start... whatever this is?"
An unnatural look flashed across Karuizawa Kei's face.
"Don't talk nonsense... it's just about the boxing club."
Matsushita Chiaki, who was sitting beside her, turned her head and wisely tried to smooth things over. "Shimizu-kun is a member of the boxing club too. Since Kei recently joined as a manager, it's probably just club business."
"Exactly!" Karuizawa Kei hurried to agree while quickly unlocking her phone.
"Right, I need to send a message to the President to ask for leave..."
Sato Maya sighed exaggeratedly, sinking into the sofa. "You run off to the boxing club every single day. We finally dragged you out to play today. Seriously, did you only join for Shimizu-kun? I don't see him paying any attention to you at all. You might as well quit!"
Nene Mori's off-key singing suddenly hit a high note, drowning out Karuizawa Kei's nearly inaudible sigh.
She lowered her head to compose the text: [President Sato, hello, this is Karuizawa Kei. I am very sorry for not being able to attend club activities today...]
Kei stared at the screen, her fingertip unconsciously tracing over the name "Shimizu Akira" in her call history.
'At the end of the day... hasn't he skipped plenty of times himself? Even if the President gave him special privileges, it still feels a bit unfair.'
She grumbled quietly to herself.
Joining the boxing club hadn't been a sudden whim—even as a manager, the workload was no lighter than that of a regular member. She had to arrive thirty minutes early every day to count equipment, carefully wipe down every piece of gear after training, and constantly keep an eye on the water supply. Not to mention, whenever a member was absent, she had to call them one by one to confirm their situation. These chores alone consumed nearly an hour and a half every day.
She had originally intended to go to club activities as usual today, but Sato Maya had clung to her, insisting they go out. After being worn down by her best friend for an entire class period, she had half-reluctantly followed them to karaoke.
Perhaps, deep down, there was also a hint of spite because Shimizu Akira rarely showed his face at the club.
When she saw his caller ID, she had wondered what it was about! ...But after picking up, the first thing he asked about was the club.
Kei's fingertip hovered over the phone screen as she fell into a brief contemplation.
'After all... I didn't join voluntarily in the first place.'
She bit her lower lip gently.
Her joining the boxing club had been entirely arranged by Shimizu Akira—that so-called "legitimate identity" was nothing more than a cover he used to protect her.
'Isn't just having my name on the roster enough? Do I really need to go every day?'
If it were some obscure club, being a "ghost member" would be fine. But the boxing club was a top-tier school club; its management was as strict as a small corporation. Being absent for more than three days without leave could result in being expelled from the club.
However...
'With the friendship between Shimizu and the President, it should be fine, right?'
Thinking of this, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly. After all, she and Shimizu Akira had an unbreakable contract relationship. This sense of security gave her the confidence to edit her message with a sense of entitlement:
[President Sato, due to feeling unwell, I am applying for one week of leave...]
The moment she hit send, Nene Mori hit a cracked note, causing Sato Maya to collapse onto the sofa in laughter. Karuizawa Kei tossed her phone into her bag, thinking that this bit of willfulness was probably one of the privileges the contract granted her.
Just as she reached for a drink, her hand froze—because Matsushita Chiaki was watching her with an indescribable expression, a gaze that seemed to mix worry with a desire to say something.
"Chiaki? Why are you looking at me like that?" She instinctively touched her cheek, forcing a standard "gyaru" smile.
This wasn't the first time. Whenever exam results were announced, or when she intentionally spoke in an exaggerated tone, Matsushita Chiaki would cast this kind of pensive gaze. That look seemed to pierce through the carefully maintained surface she presented, as if seeing right through her mind.
'Could she have figured something out...?'
The thought was pushed down as soon as it emerged. After all, Matsushita Chiaki's grades were average, and she was always quiet and low-key in class. It was probably just her being too sensitive—Kei convinced herself, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
"It's nothing." Matsushita Chiaki shook her head gently and handed her a glass of orange juice. "I just feel like... you've seemed very tired lately."
Condensation from the glass dripped onto the back of Kei's hand, the cold making her flinch slightly. She swirled the juice, the ice cubes clinking crisply against the glass.
"Ah~ it's probably just that being the manager at the boxing club takes up too much energy lately." She stirred the ice with a straw. "So that's why I'm resting properly now!"
Matsushita Chiaki lightly pressed the back of Kei's hand. "Just focus on relaxing today. We've already discussed the points you borrowed last month; you don't need to rush to pay us back. We'll just split today's expenses among the three of us."
"Eh? How can I do that..." Kei's fingertips curled slightly.
The chorus of the song switched in the booth, causing a moment of silence in their conversation. In the dim light, Matsushita Chiaki looked at her, her tone carrying a hint of helplessness: "Because... the three of us have noticed you've been borrowing points from everyone in the class. Anyway, the few of us have already had 45,000 points deducted this month; we really don't have extra to help you. This treat today is probably our last luxury."
Karuizawa Kei unconsciously bit down on her straw, leaving teeth marks. Sato Maya and Nene Mori were fighting over the microphone in front of the screen, their joyful laughter sounding exceptionally piercing at that moment.
"Though I'm not sure why your points are disappearing so fast..." Chiaki's voice grew even softer, "I suggest you don't stay on leave for too long. The boxing club is one of the most popular clubs in school; with that identity, many things become much easier. If you run into trouble... the senpais in the boxing club will help you. You've seen the 'special' side of this school; having a reliable club as a backer can save you a lot of grief."
"...I know! Chiaki, sometimes you're really like a nagging older sister!" Karuizawa Kei paused, then spoke with a smile.
Saying that, she picked up her phone and glanced at the chat log—the message she had sent earlier was now marked as "read."
President Sato's reply, a simple "Understood," sat quietly in the dialogue box. Even though the other party had already sent an acknowledgment of consent, a sudden wave of panic inexplicably rose in her heart. Especially when she caught a glimpse of her personal points out of the corner of her eye—only 12,000 left—the panic grew even stronger.
Chapter 106 Just what kind of resolve do you have to be paying me to date you!
As was his custom, Shimizu Akira opened his eyes promptly at 5:30 in the morning. He nimbly rolled out of bed and began his daily mandatory "Saitama-style" training regimen. One hundred push-ups, one hundred sit-ups, and one hundred squats—this routine, which most people would find difficult to sustain, felt as natural as breathing to him.
When the final set was completed, far from feeling any exhaustion, he felt as though an inexhaustible surge of strength was coursing through his body.
"This body really is a bug," Shimizu Akira wiped his sweat in front of the mirror and couldn't help but chuckle.
Sticking to it for eight years like a single day made this training as simple as eating or drinking water for him. He could even feel his muscles craving more challenges, but logic triumphed over impulse. Changing into the school-issued tracksuit, he gently closed the door and headed toward the school sports field.
The synthetic track still carried the damp scent of last night's rain; his running shoes made a rhythmic "tap-tap" sound against it. Come to think of it, this morning running routine had persisted for an entire month now. Yet, the numbers on the scale remained unmoved, and the results of his fitness tests were frozen at their starting point. After all, his physical condition had already reached a point where it could no longer improve.
Exercising now was less about improvement and more about simply maintaining the intensity of this physique. Shimizu Akira knew very well that even for top professional athletes, over ninety percent of the core goal of their daily training was maintenance rather than enhancement. In a sense, maintaining one's peak state was far more difficult than the initial climb.
He adjusted his breathing steadily, his footsteps remaining stable and rhythmic. One lap, then another.
When he crossed the finish line of the tenth lap, he came to a halt. One lap around the track was approximately one kilometer, which meant he had just completed a ten-kilometer run. Shimizu Akira pulled his phone from his pocket; the screen lit up, displaying the countdown timer: 29 minutes. This was achieved even without a deliberate full sprint during the final two laps. It was a decent result.
Just as Shimizu Akira was about to turn and leave the field, he caught a glimpse of a slender figure in his peripheral vision.
It was Kushida Kikyo.
She was wearing the same tracksuit as him, standing on the inside of the track, holding a bottle of mineral water and a neatly folded towel, walking toward him.
"Good work, Shimizu-kun! Ten laps, that's truly impressive!"
"...Thanks." Shimizu Akira was slightly taken aback, but he naturally accepted the water and towel she offered. The cold mineral water slid down his throat, instantly soothing the parched, burning sensation. He casually wiped the sweat from his forehead before realizing—why was she here?
Since the start of the term, having run laps for over a month, this was the first time he had encountered a classmate.
"Shimizu-kun really is amazing!" Kushida Kikyo stood with her hands behind her back, tilting her head slightly with a brilliant smile. "Since the first day of school, you've been sticking to your morning runs, right? Horikita-san even told me that you wake up every day at 5:30 to exercise! Doing it for eight years! That is a truly magnificent habit."
However, Shimizu Akira was fully aware of the intentions of the smiling girl before him; he guessed she likely had some request to ask of him.
"It's nothing much," Shimizu Akira followed the conversation naturally.
—Wait?
Horikita told her?
These two... when did their relationship get so good?
No, that didn't make sense at all. He knew perfectly well about Horikita Suzune's almost physiological repulsion toward Kushida Kikyo. And Kushida Kikyo? How could she sincerely grow to like someone who wore a "do not approach" scowl all day and had ruthlessly rejected her "let's be friends" declaration a dozen, if not dozens, of times to her face?
Shimizu Akira could almost imagine that, in private, Kushida Kikyo had probably "greeted" Horikita Suzune through gritted teeth many times.
"Is Shimizu-kun able to keep up with the Japanese class lately? If you're having trouble, I can help you tutor!" Kushida Kikyo clasped her hands together and gave a sweet smile.
Shimizu Akira quickly searched his memory—his impression was that her Japanese grade was in the 80s, and her other subjects hovered in that same range. While not top-tier, it was more than enough to tutor a "tail-ender" like him who scored a 29.
"Thanks, but I've already asked Horikita to help me with tutoring," he declined politely, especially since he had already prepaid the points for the lessons.
As soon as he said it, he suddenly realized something.
"Ah, you want to invite me to the study group, right?" Shimizu Akira had a sudden realization. "Sure, I'll go sometime. That should help you make up the numbers, right? Consider it a vote for you. But as for Horikita's side, I can't help you lobby her; you know she dislikes you quite a bit."
It was just a small favor anyway. Besides, remembering those "fan service" photos and behaviors she had sent him last time, he silently added in his heart: after all, she had treated him quite well.
"Well..." Kushida Kikyo lightly twined her fingers together, a slightly troubled expression appearing on her face.
"It's indeed hard to argue with that... I do hope Shimizu-kun can come to the study group. However—"
She suddenly looked up, "The main reason I came to find you today isn't that!"
A breeze swept across the field, fluttering the hair at her temples. Kushida took a deep breath, as if having made up her mind, and said:
"Shimizu-kun... can you go on a date with me tonight?" Her voice suddenly became small.
"Of course! I won't waste your time for nothing. Actually... my points on hand aren't very plentiful. After lending 2,000 points to Karuizawa-san yesterday, I can only give you 5,000 points at most... this is the highest 'dating fee' I've ever taken out for someone else."
At this point, she waved her hands hurriedly to add: "Ah! Please don't misunderstand! The dating fee is the dating fee, but I will bear all the expenses of the date! As long as... as long as you can accompany me... it would be best if we could take a few photos."
Shimizu Akira's expression froze instantly, as if he were hearing some wild fairy tale. His voice carried a tone of incredulous questioning: "Wait... weren't we already squared up? Those 80,000 points were settled. What do you mean by bringing up a date now?
Do you even understand what you're saying? With what kind of resolve are you saying such things?"
You're actually paying me to go on a date?
In order to maintain that "Angel" persona, has she already reached the point where she's willing to go this far?
First those "fan service" photos... now paying points... is she even going to throw herself into the bargain?
This person really is a good person! A saint! Shimizu Akira had never seen such a beautiful girl who was so kind and generous with "benefits"!
She specifically comes to the door just to give out favors!
Chapter 107 Shimizu Akira, you are so repulsive!
When facing an idiot, what kind of look does a person give? It must be a complex expression of three parts shock, three parts confusion, three parts pity, mixed with two parts disgust!
Kushida Kikyo was certainly not a psychic and could not accurately discern the specific percentage of various emotions in someone's gaze. But this didn't stop her from reading the naked astonishment in Shimizu Akira's eyes—it was clearly the way one looks at an irredeemable fool!
She was all too familiar with it. After all, over these past few days, whenever she looked at those two clowns in class, Haruki Yamauchi and Kanji Ike, this was exactly the look shimmering in her eyes.
'Shimizu Akira! He dares to look at me with the same eyes he uses for Yamauchi and Ike! He dares to treat me like a moron!'
Kushida bit her lower lip hard, nearly letting this curse slip out loud. What was wrong with this guy? Did he take her for a fool? Was she really that stupid in his eyes?
Kushida couldn't help but carefully recall her operations over these days. That night, it seemed she was the one who went to his door proactively; not only did she offer up 80,000 personal points, but even the first touch of her chest was lost for nothing. And later! Just because the other party brought in four votes, she had somehow, as if possessed, sent him a swimsuit photo...
Recalling this, Kushida wished she could travel through time and slap her past self.
'Was my brain full of water back then? I had already paid 80,000 points; him helping me was just part of the deal! Why did I feel like I had to be so pathetically grateful to him!'
Then again, this was essentially a trap meticulously designed by Shimizu Akira. At first, he struck a pose of total indifference, refusing to budge even for 10,000 points in their chat logs. Yet, at the final critical moment of the selection, he suddenly exerted effort, accurately pulling in those four key votes for her just before the deadline, helping her surpass Yosuke Hirata in one fell swoop.
For years, because her academic and physical abilities were average, she had always been denied the position of class leader. But that time, she had truly, tangibly stood in a leadership position. The feeling of being able to mobilize and command everyone in the class during normal times was simply too intoxicating.
"…"
Fine. She finally had to admit that Shimizu Akira's last-minute vote-pulling behavior had indeed stirred a strange feeling in her heart. Kushida Kikyo was, after all, only human.
When someone who is usually cold to you suddenly lends a hand at a critical moment—that contrast unconsciously made her feel some goodwill.
Of course, it wasn't quite "love" yet, but at least... compared to those insignificant nobodies in class, Shimizu Akira's weight in her heart was indeed subtly a bit heavier. Yes! Just a tiny bit. Ultimately, it was all the fault of her emotions getting the better of her.
—That swimsuit photo was the first time in her life she had ever sent such a thing to a member of the opposite sex!
She began to think carefully again about what she had just said.
She suggested giving a dating fee; was there a problem with that? After the last incident, she had figured out Shimizu Akira's character completely—the man was the type who wouldn't lift a finger without a benefit. In his eyes, expenses during a date naturally followed the same logic. She didn't want to fall out or have the date end on a sour note over such a trivial matter.
Thinking about it, it was all the fault of those two idiots, Haruki Yamauchi and Kanji Ike! If it weren't for them, Kushida Kikyo wouldn't have had to lower her stance to beg Shimizu Akira for some date. How was this any different from proactively delivering benefits to him?
Uh... summarizing it like that. From an objective standpoint, it seemed... it looked... it indeed had a bit of that "giving yourself away for free" vibe.
"I don't need a dating fee, and you don't need to pay for everything."
However, Shimizu Akira's answer was completely unexpected.
"You don't want it? You—!" Her eyes suddenly widened as she stared at Shimizu Akira in shock.
What was going on? This guy! Didn't he always follow the principle of "never do anything without a benefit"?! To suddenly be so nice to her! She was actually a bit unaccustomed to it!
Shimizu Akira was taken aback. Seeing her shocked expression, he was the one left confused: "I think I've figured it out. It's likely because of last month's bet that you're forced to go on a date with me, right? It's not out of the question to go out with you, but there's no need for you to pay for everything. Let's just split the bill."
"What kind of logic is that? Even if we really go on a date, I'm not the one losing out. Is there a need to specifically pay me a dating fee? Besides..." Shimizu Akira waved his phone.
"You've already given me enough 'fan service,' Kushida-san. Lately, haven't you been a bit too good to me? I'm starting to get a bit unaccustomed to it."
After spending time together during this period, Shimizu Akira had already seen through Kushida Kikyo's essence. Since she believed she held "dirt" on him, she probably wouldn't try any more tricks. This proposal for a date was likely 80% to shut the classmates' mouths and let that ridiculous bet from last time be completely over with.
He had no reason to refuse. After all—Kushida Kikyo was indeed a quite decent girl. Whether it was her exquisite face, her graceful figure, or that angel-like disguise... one couldn't find a
flaw. Just as he had evaluated before: as long as she didn't expose her true nature, she was a perfect angel. Furthermore... she would occasionally send him "special fan service."
Shimizu Akira couldn't help but smile.
Come to think of it, Kushida-san's attitude toward him seemed to be getting better and better lately? Though it was highly likely just her acting. But he had to admit, a Kushida-san like this truly deserved the title of "Angel."
"...Fine, then see you tonight! I'll message you the specific time." Kushida Kikyo was slightly stunned, then she gave her signature sweet smile and nodded in agreement.
The moment she turned around, her perfect smile immediately crumbled into a complex expression.
'This bastard! He saw through the fact that I was forced to date him at a single glance!
He's so smart it makes me want to punch him!
What's with the act of being generous! Refusing points and talking about splitting the bill... Hmph, though he's certainly a bit better than those insatiable boys...'
Her expression distorted for a second before quickly returning to a look of feigned indifference.
'What does he mean by 'I've been very good to him lately'?! Have I really been that good to him?! There's a limit to being narcissistic!
Giving points wasn't voluntary! As for that accident... it was purely to get leverage over him!'
Kushida's pace unconsciously quickened, as if trying to leave her annoying thoughts behind.
'That photo... fine, I admit I was impulsive then! That time I really did get a bit carried away.
But it was just that one time!
He wouldn't happen to be playing some game of hard-to-get, would he?! In reality, when he heard he could date me, he must have wanted it so badly! Hilarious!
Repulsive! Shimizu Akira, you are so repulsive! He wouldn't happen to like me, would he! This guy!
Just watch how I toy with you during our date! Just you wait!'
Chapter 108 Today's Intel: Kushida Kikyo and Horikita Suzune are from the same Middle School
As the morning sun spilled through the curtains into the classroom, Shimizu Akira had just taken his seat when the "Today's Intel" popped up on his retinas precisely at 8:00 AM.
[1. Nagumo Miyabi is currently the student with the most personal points in the entire school.]
[2. Kushida Kikyo and Horikita Suzune were schoolmates at the same middle school.]
[3. Chabashira Sae was once a student of Class D at Advanced Nurturing High School; due to a special exam before graduation, she lost to Class A by a hair's breadth and eventually graduated with Class B results.]
Akira scrutinized these pieces of information one by one.
The first piece of intel confirmed the earlier hints from Chabashira Sae-sensei and the warning from Sato-senpai. This second-year, Nagumo Miyabi, actually managed to crush all the third-year students in terms of personal points; his wealth-gathering ability was truly startling. Akira privately estimated that there must be at least 50 million points sitting in the guy's account, perhaps even more.
This inevitably made him think of the current Student Council President, Horikita Manabu. As expected, the President's points were no match for Nagumo's. He remembered the last time they collaborated, the President had politely declined his offer of a 30% cut. According to Sato-senpai, President Horikita frequently sponsored Class D students who had no points. It could only be said that the Student Council President's focus simply wasn't on points at all.
Akira's gaze shifted back and forth between the second and third pieces of intel, his brow furrowing instinctively.
Kushida and Horikita were actually middle school classmates? How could two girls with such polar-opposite personalities have such a connection? The intel didn't specify they were in the same class, so it was highly likely they were in the same school but different classes. From that perspective, it would make sense if they didn't know each other.
To be precise! It was truly possible that Horikita Suzune didn't know Kushida Kikyo. As for whether Kushida Kikyo knew Horikita Suzune, that still required a question mark. However... if he got the chance, he could try to ask around indirectly. He just didn't know which middle school they graduated from.
When his eyes scanned the third piece of intel, Akira nearly jumped out of his seat.
What? Chabashira-sensei was from Class D? And she almost graduated as Class A? He never imagined that the always-stony-faced homeroom teacher was also a graduate of this school, let alone that she had once been only a step away from Class A.
Which meant... Akira quickly cleared his train of thought. Had she failed at the final hurdle during the last special exam of her third year? This discovery gave him a fresh perspective on Chabashira Sae. He remembered Hoshinomiya Chie once mentioning offhandedly that she and Chabashira-sensei had been best friends since high school. Now, these two best friends had returned to their alma mater to teach after graduation and were both leading first-year classes—there was likely more than just a simple coincidence behind that.
'It feels like everyone has quite a few secrets! Could they all have some unspeakable dark past?' Akira thought silently.
-
-
-
During the break after the third period in the morning, Akira's phone suddenly vibrated. He pulled it out to see two text messages from Kamuro Masumi:
Kamuro Masumi: Are my shoes with you?!
Kamuro Masumi: I assume you haven't done anything weird with them!
Akira stared at the screen, his mouth twitching instinctively. He naturally understood what she meant by "anything weird."
"What kind of person does she take me for..." he complained inwardly. His fingers tapped out a reply quickly on the screen:
Shimizu Akira: I didn't do anything! Besides, your shoes aren't with me anymore.
The moment the message was sent, she replied instantly:
Kamuro Masumi: Don't tell me you threw them away!
Akira sighed and continued typing:
Shimizu Akira: No, I gave them to the female staff at the dormitory front desk! Just give them your name when the time comes and you can pick them up!
In reality, immediately after Kamuro Masumi had left, he had carefully placed those handmade shoes into a shoebox and handed them over to the dormitory front desk completely intact.
A moment later, the phone vibrated again:
Kamuro Masumi: I'll give you credit for being sensible... I'll head over to check after school.
Kamuro Masumi's messages continued to pop up:
Kamuro Masumi: Your arbitrary actions last time completely disrupted the rhythm of my plan. I didn't get to finish what I was saying! Listen carefully.
Kamuro Masumi: In short, your primary goal now is to work hard to save up 20 million personal points.
Akira raised an eyebrow, his fingertips tapping lightly on the screen. Coincidentally, that was indeed his most important current goal. To some extent, they were thinking along the same lines.
Shimizu Akira: I understand.
The other party quickly sent another long paragraph:
Kamuro Masumi: Of course, there's no way you can save 20 million on your own! But still, save as much as you can! You must perform well these next few months. Your activity will be watched by Class A. If you're lucky, other classes might see your ability and be willing to spend points to buy you over!
Kamuro Masumi: Prepare yourself for several more months of toil! Something this good won't happen immediately. After all, 20 million isn't a small amount for any class.
The final message carried an obvious tone of urging:
Kamuro Masumi: Alright, I can't be bothered to explain much more. In short, just do as I say and you won't go wrong.
Akira looked at the phone screen and put it away thoughtfully.
'I see! So one of Class A's plans is to use 20 million points to buy talent from other classes?'
He understood the meaning behind her words almost instantly. That sentence—"Your activity will be watched by Class A"—had essentially given away the game. 20 million points was undoubtedly a massive sum that was hard for one person to save. But for a class—especially a top-tier one like Class A—it wasn't that difficult. Even if they only put aside 2 million a month, they could gather 20 million in ten months.
He hadn't expected that Class A, upon learning the news that "20 million points allows a class transfer," would actually come up with the idea of "buying people." Thinking it through, this plan definitely had merit: buying talent could both strengthen their own class and directly weaken the power of other classes. Between that gain and loss, if they could poach a core figure from another class, that class would basically be crippled and lose all subsequent competitiveness.
'If I can't beat you, can't I just buy you?'
To use an analogy, if there were enough points to support it, one could even spend 800 million points to "buy" an entire class—which was equivalent to turning an opponent directly into an ally.
'It's probably Katsuragi Kohei's idea.'
Akira didn't think this was a method Sakayanagi Arisu would come up with. After all, in her character profile, there had never been such a team-oriented mode of thinking.
Chapter 109: Turning the Tables—Sakayanagi Arisu is Selling Intel Too!
In reality, Class A didn't even need to cough up the full 20 million points. The person being invited should surely have some points of their own, right? For instance, Shimizu Akira currently had 10 million points in hand—meaning if Class A could produce 10 million right now, he could transfer over immediately.
However, Akira remained skeptical about Class A's selection criteria. Was it based on contribution to one's original class? But no matter how much one stood out, students from other classes would likely find it hard to be noticed—after all, it was only the second month of school, and the four classes hadn't officially begun competing against each other.
Then again, even if Class A really had such a selection mechanism, the threshold was likely terrifyingly high. Moreover, he had no intention of joining Class A in the first place—mainly because Sakayanagi Arisu was simply too much trouble.
Of course, he wouldn't confess these thoughts to Kamuro Masumi. He hadn't forgotten that she had kicked his shin last time; next time, there was no telling where she might kick him.
"I'll work hard," Akira eventually gave a formulaic response, purely as a way to brush her off.
At that moment, he remembered he still owed Masumi 10,000 personal points, so he transferred them over immediately. However, she acted as if she hadn't seen it, offering zero reaction to his repayment.
Speaking of which, he was currently weighing a thought: should he sell the intel he held to all four classes? But this particular piece of intel was far less valuable than last month's information regarding the S-System's hidden rules. Akira estimated he could sell it to one class at most—after all, intel like this was the hardest kind of secret to keep under wraps once the word got out.
So, he switched to his secondary account. To his surprise, Sakayanagi Arisu from Class A had suddenly sent several messages, which caught him off guard.
Sakayanagi Arisu: You're online, I see. I've been keeping an eye on you these past few days!
Sakayanagi Arisu: Fufu, you logged on Monday because the surveillance expired and you wanted to see our reaction, right? Why are you online today?
Sakayanagi Arisu: Appearing suddenly after a two-day gap... could it be you want to do business with the classes again?
Sakayanagi Arisu: You made over ten million from that four-class deal last time, didn't you? Wasn't that enough?
Akira was stunned—he hadn't expected her to guess that he had traded with all four classes.
Yue: ?
Sakayanagi Arisu: Still playing dumb. I specifically observed during the first two weeks that the vast majority of people in all four classes were eating the free meal sets—isn't that the most direct evidence?
Akira thought for a moment and understood instantly. This reasoning could indeed confirm that all four classes were short on points—after all, you only eat the free sets when your wallet is tight.
Sakayanagi Arisu: I won't let things go so smoothly for you this month. You logging on so suddenly... it couldn't be because there's a special exam this month, could it?
Sakayanagi Arisu: Fufu, I knew it. After all, the last few questions on the previous test were simply impossible for high school freshmen to solve, and the homeroom teacher mentioned there were "other ways" to avoid trouble! It was almost a direct hint!
Sakayanagi Arisu: I've been wondering, what exactly is the method that absolutely guarantees students can avoid failing?
Sakayanagi Arisu: After thinking it over, the answer is just one word: The Paper.
Sakayanagi Arisu: For example, buying the exam paper from a teacher. Unfortunately, I was rejected when I asked.
Sakayanagi Arisu: So, what is the solution regarding the paper? The answer is simple: Old Questions.
Sakayanagi Arisu: I've also been paying attention to the Class D sophomores these past few days—they haven't planned any tutoring, yet everyone radiates an aura of absolute confidence.
Sakayanagi Arisu: So! I found a second-year senpai who was short on points! I obtained all the freshman exam papers from him! Just as I suspected! The content is almost identical!
Sakayanagi Arisu: Later, I asked the teacher too! As expected, there is a special exam this time, and each class can get a maximum of 100 Class Points.
Sakayanagi Arisu: I won't let you earn points so easily this time, because I'm going to sell the intel as well.
Akira's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't expected her to not only guess the answer perfectly but also to figure out the bonus rules for Class Points.
'Even if she's a "mesugaki," her IQ is top-tier.
Wait! She wants to sell intel too? Someone is actually poaching my business these days?
Does she have no sense of loyalty to Class A? Selling intel to other classes is basically helping the competition strengthen themselves!'
He was different from Sakayanagi. He felt no sense of belonging to Class D, but she was the leader of Class A. For a moment, Akira couldn't tell if she was being serious or lying—perhaps she was trying to trick him, or perhaps she really intended to do it.
Sakayanagi Arisu might be someone who truly lacks what one calls a "stance." Akira even felt that there were times she would rather damage her class's interests to achieve her own goals—in her eyes, personal interest likely always came before the class's interest. Regardless, he couldn't just follow her lead.
Yue: I just logged on to take a look, and you've deduced all of that. The answer to the special exam is the exam papers? Thanks for the reminder. By the way, you plan to sell intel that benefits other classes? I've taken a screenshot. I wonder what would happen if I sent this to your Katsuragi Kohei, or the rest of Class A, to see what they have to say.
Akira was different from her—she was in the light, while he was in the shadows. Therefore, it was easy for him to identify her weakness: her prestige. If he sent that screenshot out, Sakayanagi Arisu's popularity would plummet no matter what.
The other side of the screen went silent for a moment before a message from her popped up.
Sakayanagi Arisu: Fufu, a screenshot? Do you really think Katsuragi-kun would question me over something like this?
Sakayanagi Arisu: Even if they found out, they would only think this is a part of my plan.
Yue: A plan? Selling intel to opponents counts as a plan?
Sakayanagi Arisu: Why wouldn't it? Allowing you to monopolize the information trade and watching other classes be led by the nose by you... that would be the most disadvantageous thing for Class A, and even for the other classes. Personally, I absolutely loathe being led by the nose!
Sakayanagi Arisu: Furthermore, this special exam isn't a head-to-head competition; it's not a zero-sum game where my gain is your loss. Even if all four classes increase their points by the same amount, Class A's position will not be shaken.
Sakayanagi Arisu: Making the intel public can serve as an olive branch from Class A to the other classes. Even if we tell them, assuming an average score of 60, each class can only gain about 60 Class Points at most—publicizing the intel works as a bargaining chip for future cooperation, prevents the possibility of other classes forming an alliance against us, and earns me a nice sum of points. Why not?
Her words actually seemed to make some sense. So, Sakayanagi was worried that after Class A became overwhelmingly powerful, the other three classes would team up against them? Was she planning to "Vertical Alliance"—winning over the other classes?
Thinking about it, this was entirely possible. History was full of similar examples. The monthly exam average for Class D was 64, and the other classes would only be higher. This meant a
class could only earn about 60-some points at most. Instead of letting that happen, it was better to make the intel public—using those 60 Class Points to trade for the trust of other classes and gain leverage for future cooperation was an incredibly cost-effective deal.
Class A currently had 950 Class Points; they didn't care about these 60 points—especially since if all four classes grew their points simultaneously, Class A's advantage remained untouched. One had to admit, Sakayanagi Arisu had played this move beautifully.
Akira felt that things were beginning to spiral beyond his expectations. However—if it continued this way, it would only get more interesting.
Chapter 110 Sakayanagi Arisu: Checkmate.
Sakayanagi Arisu: Don't even think about earning a single point from the special exam this month.
Sakayanagi Arisu: Even if I don't charge any points and tell the other first-year classes for free, it wouldn't be a problem at all.
Sakayanagi Arisu: As for the second and third-year senpais, I don't need to say much, do I? They've known about the tricks in the exam papers for a long time. Your little bit of intel is worth nothing in their eyes.
"Heh..."
Sakayanagi Arisu looked at the chat box on her phone, where no new messages had appeared for a long time, and let out a soft laugh.
She unconsciously muttered three words: "Checkmate."
It was just like that moment on a chessboard when the opponent's king is trapped in a single move. She reviewed her logic once more, certain she hadn't misspoken. The facts were as stated—this time, she had obtained the key information almost simultaneously with her opponent.
And just as she had said, the benefits of making the intel public were so numerous that she had no reason not to choose that path. Sometimes, being overwhelmingly dominant isn't a good thing, especially when it only involves letting other classes gain an extra 30 or so Class Points.
However, the most urgent matter at hand was to disclose the information to her own class to further consolidate her prestige.
During the lunch break, she gathered the entire class and revealed both the fact that "Class Points will increase based on average midterm scores" and the "key clues regarding the exam papers."
"As expected of Sakayanagi-san! Simply amazing!" The first person in the class to clap was a blonde boy wearing earrings.
Arisu glanced at him and immediately recalled his name—Hashimoto Masayoshi. She remembered that in the last monthly exam, Hashimoto had scored in the 80s for every subject; excluding the few difficult questions, he had likely gotten everything else right. His physical fitness in PE was also good, and his interpersonal skills were strong—she often saw him chatting with classmates, and he even had friends in other classes.
In terms of grades and ability, he could be considered the top tier among "ordinary" people. Her first impression of him was that of an "all-rounder"—to put it kindly, a versatile talent who could do anything; to put it harshly, a mediocre person who wasn't top-tier in any specific area.
"Sakayanagi-san, thanks to you finding this important information this month," Kohei Katsuragi, standing nearby, nodded in acknowledgement.
"According to the contribution system Class A established last month, you undoubtedly deserve the highest 'A-rank' evaluation. The class has decided to reward you with 200,000 points—since half the class funds are in your hands, you can withdraw it directly."
Starting last month, Class A had implemented a reward and punishment policy: as long as one made a significant contribution to the class, they would receive a corresponding personal point reward. Katsuragi had referenced the school's class rankings to divide rewards into four levels: A, B, C, and D, corresponding to 200,000, 100,000, 50,000, and 30,000 points respectively.
Publicizing this intel naturally counted as a contribution. Considering this information could net the class over 90 Class Points and seize the initiative from other classes, it was undoubtedly qualified as A-rank key intelligence. Rewarding Arisu with 200,000 points was perfectly reasonable.
Katsuragi had fully learned his lesson from last month—even if the person was the class leader, the rewards they were due could not be skipped; he couldn't withhold what was earned just because of her position.
"...Don't be in such a hurry, Katsuragi-kun. I haven't finished speaking yet." Arisu glanced at Katsuragi, a faint, lingering smile on her lips.
She felt he was celebrating a bit too early. Subsequently, she informed the class of her decision to "disclose the information to other classes" and explained her reasoning.
"...Align with other classes? Is it really necessary for Class A to do that?"
"Actually, there's no need to notify the other classes at all, is there? Wouldn't it be better if we just kept the lead and left them in the dust?"
As expected, the decision met immediate opposition from some students.
"I think it's fine? What Sakayanagi-san said is actually right—being overwhelmingly dominant in the early stages isn't necessarily a good thing.
If three classes team up to deal with us, even Class A might find it hard to cope.
And it's only about 60 Class Points; consider it doing them a favor. It might come in handy later. Take Ichinose from Class B, for example—everyone knows what her personality is like, right? Doing her a favor is quite a profitable trade."
This student's statement immediately garnered support from others.
"Ichinose-san?! I really trust her character."
"True, if we do Ichinose Honami a kindness, she will definitely repay it in the future."
Arisu couldn't help but frown slightly. She had originally expected the class to be split fifty-fifty, but she hadn't anticipated that simply mentioning Ichinose Honami's name would sway the majority to agree.
'Is this the benefit of having a established "good person" persona?'
'It seems Ichinose from Class B is a bit more troublesome than I imagined' she thought to herself.
Since more than half the class supported it, there was naturally nothing to worry about regarding the plan. She sat back in her seat, her fingertips lightly tapping the desk.
'With this, that 'Yue's' so-called screenshot should be completely useless.'
Given her usual temperament, there would have been no need to convene the whole class for such an explanation. If she hadn't been worried about the person named "Yue" making a scene with the screenshot, she wouldn't have gone to this trouble. In a sense, the opponent had forced her hand to go public with the matter.
'So, which class should I contact first?
Wait—aside from knowing Ichinose leads Class B, I actually know nothing about the other classes.'
Ichinose was popular throughout the entire grade and was considered the public leader of Class B. As for the situation in the other classes, she wasn't very clear. Class A had never specifically gone out of its way to scout such information.
But then again, her current goal should be to find a few helpers first—starting with bringing Kamuro Masumi over to her side. Although she herself was exceptionally brilliant, her physical body was too weak; she naturally wouldn't run errands herself—more importantly, it was beneath her.
Why should a leader go running around personally? Such tasks should be delegated to subordinates. What Arisu valued was precisely Kamuro Masumi's physical skills. Those seemingly "petty theft" skills shouldn't be underestimated; they might prove extremely useful at a critical juncture in the future.
Furthermore, she had previously made a bet with Shimizu Akira that she had to make Kamuro Masumi her subordinate within a week.
'But I can't use the shoplifting incident to threaten her.'
That matter had long been cleaned up by Shimizu Akira—the beer Masumi had stolen had been paid for by him on the spot, so naturally, it couldn't be called theft anymore. Otherwise, she wouldn't have lost 100,000 points to Akira because of it.
However, Kamuro Masumi did have a weakness. For instance, a certain person named Shimizu Akira.