"I've found an interesting target."
Around the beginning of May, Ryuuen Kakeru eagerly reported his recent progress to Kitagawa Ryo. After spending some class points as the price, Ryuuen had managed to mostly grasp the school's entire surveillance system. Lately, what he enjoyed most was secretly installing surveillance cameras he'd bought with points in areas without school monitoring. Of course, they wouldn't be there for long—just a trial.
Ryuuen never really expected much use from these scattered surveillance devices, but during his recent recovery operations, he had stumbled upon something quite intriguing.
"The girl in these photos is Sakura Airi from Class 1-D."
There were more than a dozen photos spread across the coffee table in Kitagawa Ryo's living room. They seemed to be taken at different times but in the same location—the Special Teaching Building. The girl in the photos looked glamorous; despite the slight blurriness, it was clear that she stood out among her peers in both looks and figure.
"There's someone like that in Class D? I don't recall seeing her last time."
Kitagawa Ryo wasn't particularly interested in the photos. He lazily scanned them before turning his attention to his cat, Hotaru, teasing her with a cat toy. However, the kitten seemed disinterested and half-heartedly swatted at the toy.
"Indeed. But I cross-checked all the girls from the other first-year classes and narrowed it down by the digital camera she was carrying. I'm pretty sure it's Sakura Airi."
Ryuuen displayed his phone screen to Kitagawa:
"Through further investigation, I found out that even though she keeps a low profile in class, Sakura Airi is secretly active online as a gravure idol under the alias 'Shizuku.'"
"Here's her social media account and some of her personal data."
Kitagawa took Ryuuen's phone. It seemed Ryuuen had already organized Airi's information before coming here: she debuted in the entertainment industry as a second-year middle school student. Over the next year, she updated her personal blog almost daily, sharing everything from daily happenings to her thoughts. She even responded to nearly every fan comment, making her a diligent idol.
Since Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School prohibits outside contact for the three years of enrollment, Sakura Airi stopped replying to fans after enrolling over a month ago.
Despite only working as a gravure model and rarely appearing in public, her popularity was surprisingly high. Her Twitter had over five thousand followers. After she went silent, messages like "Please come back soon, Shizuku-chan!" and "Are you preparing for a TV appearance?" piled up.
Perhaps pressured by fan demand, Sakura Airi resumed posting a week ago. She probably went alone to the surveillance-free Special Teaching Building to take selfies.
"Something feels off..."
Unlike Ryuuen, whose first instinct was to see value in using this girl, Kitagawa Ryo furrowed his brow and noted the loopholes in the school rules:
"They made it clear during orientation that we can't contact the outside world for three years. But from the current data, it looks like there are at least two loopholes."
"Ishizaki told me a few days ago that during major sports tournaments, club members are allowed to go off-campus. There is a check beforehand, but student council members usually handle it. If someone were to go easy, it'd be simple to sneak items in or out using lunchboxes or water bottles. I considered that, but without a way to coordinate beforehand, it's hard to pull off."
Kitagawa leaned back into the couch and broke it down:
"Still, look at Sakura Airi. Even within school, she can post her photos to social media. Even without replying to fan comments, photos can still convey a lot."
"Alright, alright. That loophole sounds amazing, but it's neither practical nor useful in the near term."
Ryuuen crossed his legs and sneered:
"Class D is almost done for anyway. What are you planning against Class B?"
"Class B? Of course I have a plan."
Kitagawa scratched under Hotaru's chin as the kitten purred sweetly.
"At first, I only planned to subtly manipulate their behavioral logic. But now that you've found such an interesting girl, I think it's time for a bigger game."
"And what about the student council? How are things going on that end?"
Ryuuen squinted and asked:
"You might fool the rest of Class C, but not me."
"Oh, the student council?"
Kitagawa acted surprised, but quickly shook his head:
"For Class C right now, there's no need to stir that pot. Let's wait until we make it to Class A first."
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"Then, let me introduce myself again. I'm Ichinose Honami, the class representative of 1st Year Class B. This is Kanzaki Ryuji."
The golden hues of sunset bathed the entire café in warm light. After spending the whole day hitting dead ends, Ichinose Honami had rushed over the moment she received contact from Karuizawa Kei. Even someone as composed as her could no longer stay calm under the current circumstances. With midterm exams approaching, Class B students had their own study plans, and although none had yet voiced a desire to end the search for leads, Ichinose knew she couldn't stay idle. The quicker they resolved this, the sooner Class B could return to normal.
And now, it seemed that the key to everything lay with the calm-faced Karuizawa Kei sitting across from her.
"Karuizawa-san said she had important information about the fight yesterday..."
"Please! We really need it right now."
Ichinose stood up and bowed deeply, her tone sincere.
"If the evidence you have can turn the tide, Class B is willing to pay any price."
Kanzaki Ryuji furrowed his brows slightly at Ichinose's words. While Class B was indeed in a tough spot, showing weakness at the negotiation table would only give the other party grounds to name their price. Still, as Ichinose's aide, he suppressed his urge to speak and followed her lead, bowing as well.
"Someone from our class witnessed the incident yesterday and even took critical photos," Karuizawa stated plainly, showing her cards right away.
She displayed a photo on her phone screen—Ryuuen Kakeru of Class C, with his fist raised as if to strike his own face, while Shibata Sou of Class B stood frozen in stunned confusion.
"This is it!"
Even the usually composed Kanzaki couldn't help but exclaim when he saw this definitive piece of evidence. Ichinose spoke up without hesitation:
"If the witness from Class D is willing to testify on Class B's behalf and present this photo as evidence tomorrow, we are willing to pay Class D five hundred thousand personal points. In addition, the witness will receive an extra two hundred thousand points as personal compensation."
If it had been the old Karuizawa Kei, she might have been dazzled by such a large sum. For Class D students, who had virtually zero class points, this offer was enormous. Kanzaki felt confident about the amount they proposed and stared at Karuizawa, waiting for her to agree.
"Oh? Is that so? Seems like Class B's sincerity is a bit lacking."
Instead, Karuizawa clicked her tongue in mock disappointment, propping up her right arm as she spoke disdainfully.
"I don't know what kind of penalty Class B will receive, but I'm sure your class points will be docked, right? If a Class D student steps up to testify, their reliability is quite high, no? A one-time payment of personal points doesn't seem to compare to the class points we could save for you."
Only then did Ichinose and Kanzaki realize the girl they were negotiating with wasn't as simple-minded as she appeared. From the start, she had come fully prepared to sink her teeth deep into Class B.
"So, Karuizawa-san, what exactly are you proposing?"
Having come this far, Ichinose could only hand over the reins and brace herself for Class D's demands.
"One million personal points, paid in full."
Karuizawa's first condition immediately made their hearts tighten. But with Class B still holding 650 class points, it was a manageable sum. Ichinose was just about to agree when Karuizawa's next condition shattered any hope they had of resolving this cheaply.
"And 800,000 personal points to be paid to me every month."
"Impossible!"
Kanzaki slammed the table and stood up. Even though they had chosen a relatively secluded café, a few nearby students glanced their way. Embarrassed, Kanzaki sat back down, his face flushed with anger.
"Class B will never agree to such terms. Personal points will be critical in future class competitions. If we pay 800,000 a month, we'll not only lose the chance to challenge Class A—Class C will overtake us."
"Oh..."
Karuizawa seemed unsurprised by his reaction. She toyed with a strand of her hair and smirked.
"So Kanzaki-kun knows that Class B is about to be surpassed by Class C."
"I recall that losing one student to expulsion costs 300 class points. If Class D doesn't help now, then after the midterms, we might just see Class C replace Class B in the rankings."
For a fleeting moment, Ichinose felt as if Karuizawa wasn't negotiating on behalf of Class D, but rather had some subtle satisfaction when speaking of Class C.
She shook the thought away and said:
"Even without Class D's help, Shibata-kun won't necessarily be expelled over the fight."
Still trying to weasel out, but Karuizawa saw right through it. Her sky-blue eyes sparkled with amusement.
"I said midterm exams, didn't I?"
"If he's suspended and can't take the midterms, he'll be expelled. I heard Shibata Sou is a well-respected figure in Class B. I wonder how your class will manage without him."
Karuizawa cast her eyes downward and muttered:
"They say Class B is united, like a real team. But from what I've seen, maybe not so much."
Her attitude thoroughly infuriated Kanzaki, who was about to retort when Ichinose stopped him with a deep breath.
"Karuizawa-san is right. We can't afford to lose even one of our 40 classmates."
Ichinose turned to Kanzaki, her tone returning to its usual gentleness—the same tone Class B students had come to know and trust.
"Personal and class points can always be earned back, but once someone drops out, we can never get them back. I don't want to see that happen."
Though moved, Kanzaki still felt like he was stepping off a cliff. He knew this was a bitter pill to swallow, but perhaps Class B had no other choice. Their unity was their greatest strength.
Still, 800,000 points a month was daunting, and Kanzaki hesitated. Just as things reached a stalemate, Karuizawa spoke again.
"Actually, you don't have to be so pessimistic. If we testify, this whole incident could flip—from Class B assaulting Class C, to Class C framing Class B. In that case, the school might even order Class C to compensate you."
"Think about it that way, and doesn't it sound a bit more palatable?"
Her words were persuasive. Ichinose was about to end the conversation, but Kanzaki's mind was already racing with possibilities—potential claims against Class C. Class D's testimony could not only pull Class B out of the fire but also put them on the offensive.
If that was possible, 800,000 a month might be an acceptable cost. And if they could squeeze an equal amount from Class C in reparations, this incident might even become a net gain.
With that thought, Kanzaki reluctantly agreed. Ichinose had already been prepared to sign in order to protect Shibata. With her vice-representative's consent, the rest went smoothly.
Class B was impressively efficient. Unlike the chaotic Class D contract signing from before, they wrapped things up in under thirty minutes. Karuizawa Kei and Class 1-B officially signed a contract: Class D would testify for Class B, and Class B would pay Kei one million points upfront, plus 800,000 points monthly thereafter.
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"Ryo! I did it! I really did it! I'm so, so happy!"
At around eleven in the evening, Kitagawa Ryo heard a knock at his door. As soon as he opened it, Karuizawa Kei launched herself into his arms. She seemed to have just taken a shower, her damp hair still trailing wisps of steam.
"Alright, alright, I know Kei is the best."
Hit square in the chest, Ryo didn't try to dodge this time. Though he'd had someone keeping an eye on Kei's actions all day, he hadn't expected her to pull things off so flawlessly. From coaxing the evidence out of Sakura Airi in the morning to striking a deal with the leaders of Class B in the afternoon, she had given him more surprises than he anticipated.
Ryo casually grabbed a dry towel from a hook on the wall and began drying Kei's still-damp hair like he would a large dog. All the while, Kei clung to him, chattering excitedly about every part of her day.
She wanted praise. She wanted encouragement. She rubbed against him, craving every bit of approval.
It took her a full half hour to calm down. When she finally did, she seemed to realize how overboard she'd gone and sat shyly on the couch with a slight blush, falling silent.
"How's the matter with the answers going?"
Ryo pulled a soda from the fridge for himself and made a quick shaved ice for Kei, placing it before her.
"Hmm... Horikita-san doesn't seem to have any intention of releasing the answers yet."
"Ah, knowing Suzune, she'll probably give them out a day or two before the test. She probably thinks releasing them too early would just make students memorize without studying properly. If she gives them out only a couple of days before, they'll remember them better and the weaker students might actually learn something."
Ryo wasn't surprised by Horikita Suzune's approach.
"Originally, I wanted you to go head-to-head with her over the answer leak to build up your reputation. But honestly, this incident with Class B worked out even better. For now, just give a quiet heads-up to people you trust. They'll believe you."
"By the way, why did Chabashira-sensei deliberately give us the wrong exam topics?"
Kei asked curiously, juice dribbling from the corner of her mouth like a child. Ryo reached over and wiped it away.
"I think I get her reasoning. Each class's homeroom teacher is given a chance to tip off their students about the exam. Buying answers has definitely happened before. Maybe the school even designs it this way as a test."
"But your homeroom teacher, Chabashira-sensei..."
Ryo twitched his mouth.
"She really might be a bit off. I think she was waiting to see if you all would notice the incorrect scope, then use it to give some 'insider tips' about buying answers. Something like, 'Even failing students can pass if they know the right method,' or whatever."
"I got it!"
Kei raised her hand high.
"There are only two ways to pass the exam without studying:
One, bribe the teacher to cheat—but that's basically impossible.
Two, get the actual answers. And the only people besides the teachers who might have them are staff or upperclassmen. Naturally, people would think of asking seniors, which could lead to discovering that the midterm tests are the same every year."
Ryo gave Kei a nod of approval.
"Exactly."
"But Chabashira-sensei's approach... I still don't get it. If no one finds out about the incorrect topics, then even students who studied seriously might fail and get expelled."
Kei puffed her cheeks in frustration.
"That's why it's hard to understand."
Ryo thought of his own teacher, Sakagami Kazuma. That old man might not be youthful like Chabashira Sae, but his old-fashioned glasses and receding hairline had their own charm... Alright, mainly he just supported Ryo in leading Class C.
"Should I warn everyone, then?"
"That depends on how you feel, Kei."
Ryo stretched lazily.
"If I'm right, any failing student can buy points to pass using private points. Right now, Kei, you have the most points of anyone. If you play your cards right, you could easily take control of Class D."
"I don't care about them. If they get expelled, so be it."
But Kei didn't seem interested at all. Her entire focus was on Ryo. With her eyes closed, she murmured softly:
"Today, Chabashira-sensei told us something useful: With 20 million points, you can transfer classes."
Her right hand rested on Ryo's chest. In the midnight quiet, Ryo heard the girl's whispered wish:
"Right now, all I want... is to transfer into Class C."
Kei looked into Ryo's jet-black eyes and smiled a little too widely, her grin laced with a danger that didn't suit her usual self:
"Everything else... doesn't matter to me."
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