"Speaking of Class D, it seems like Kouenji-san is quite popular among the upperclassman girls. Just a few days ago, I saw him surrounded by a bunch of senior girls in the cafeteria. I guess even when a rich young master comes to school, he's still a young master."
"It's only natural for those upperclassmen to cling to him. Though points in this school are sometimes more valuable than money, it's still a three-year high school. If you don't graduate from Class A, you won't get the promised benefits. Sure, the school converts leftover personal points to yen at a 1:2 ratio after graduation, but with the Kouenji conglomerate's wealth, offering a better deal is child's play."
Along a secluded, tree-lined path, Kitagawa Ryo and Karuizawa Kei strolled in casual clothes, chatting idly.
"Honestly, Kouenji might be one of the first people in Class D to truly understand how the school's point system works. He thought to trade points with seniors about to graduate. He might even be the one with the most points in Class D."
"Speaking of points, Class B transferred 800,000 points to me this month."
Karuizawa waved her phone at Kitagawa. The massive number displayed would make any broke Class D student swallow hard.
"Transfer 360,000 to me first. You can keep the remaining 440,000 for yourself."
Kitagawa took out his phone and completed the transaction. In truth, without the points Karuizawa extracted from Class B, Class D would be on the verge of collapse again this month. Their current class point total was only 87, which meant each student only received 8,700 personal points.
"For both Kouenji and Ayanokouji, their only real line not to cross is expulsion. As long as that's not on the table, they won't interfere with your actions. You could even use the threat of expulsion as a bargaining chip with them... but I don't recommend it."
Kitagawa evaluated Karuizawa's current standing compared to the two and shook his head.
"No need to rush."
"Yeah."
Karuizawa nodded and tucked Kitagawa's words away in her heart. Though she hadn't seen what was special about Ayanokouji yet, Kitagawa's decision to name him alongside Kouenji made her a little wary of the boy.
"Class D seems calm lately. As for the other classes..."
Karuizawa tapped her lips with her index finger, trying to recall.
"Sakayanagi Arisu from Class A seems unwell and has been absent for two days."
"Class B had a meeting recently. The doors and windows were shut tight, so I couldn't see anything, but I heard a girl crying."
"Hmm, interesting intel."
Kitagawa acknowledged her contributions. Since the midterm exams, Karuizawa had taken over as Class D's de facto leader, replacing Horikita Suzune. But few knew she was also Kitagawa's personal informant.
"The final exams are coming. How are you doing?"
"Hehe, not bad! I've been studying seriously!"
Karuizawa puffed out her chest proudly. While her midterm performance had been shaky, after another month of dedicated studying, she now felt confident in passing the finals.
"Finals aren't the main concern. There's likely a special exam during summer break. If Class D wants to rise, that exam is critical."
"The uninhabited island one?"
Karuizawa had heard Kitagawa mention this before, so she'd studied up on it a little.
"Sounds like a really tough test..."
Most girls didn't enjoy outdoor activities, and Karuizawa was no exception.
"I hope we're allowed to bring sunscreen."
"Even if it's an uninhabited island survival test, guessing beforehand won't help much."
Kitagawa didn't know the exam's specifics, but the absence of Sakayanagi Arisu and the fact Karuizawa would lead Class D gave him confidence. Class B wasn't a concern—only checking Class A's Katsuragi Kōhei's capabilities remained.
After discussing exams, their conversation turned to daily life. Karuizawa shared gossip about the girls in her class, then suddenly asked:
"Ryo, do you have Kushida-san's contact info?"
"Yeah, I do."
Kitagawa remembered Kushida Kikyo—her beauty and charm made her influential not only in Class D but across the first-year level. Although Karuizawa was the undisputed leader of Class D, Kushida's popularity among the girls arguably exceeded hers. Karuizawa led just one clique, while Kushida easily floated between them, universally liked.
That alone made her a valuable person.
Yet Kitagawa had always avoided her. He couldn't shake the feeling she harbored deep hostility toward Horikita Suzune, which instinctively put him off.
"I went shopping with Kushida the other day and ran into Horikita. Her attitude was... off."
Karuizawa had noticed it too. At first, she just thought Kushida and Horikita didn't get along, but now it felt like there was something more. Still, it seemed one-sided—Horikita didn't appear to care much.
"But it's just a minor thing. Girls disliking each other is pretty normal."
Afraid the conversation might shift to Horikita, Karuizawa quickly changed the subject, pulling something small from her bag.
"Ta-da! Perfume!"
She held up a small, elegant bottle.
"How many points?"
"Don't ruin the mood! Don't ever ask that again."
She flipped her palm and brought the bottle close to Kitagawa's nose.
"How is it? Smell good?"
A sweet rose fragrance tickled his senses. Not overpowering, but it lingered delicately, teasing the heart.
"Roses again?"
"Hmm?"
Karuizawa caught his mutter but explained naturally:
"Every girl who loves perfume is searching for her perfect rose."
"White roses for purity, red roses for passion... what comes next isn't for roses to decide."
Kitagawa watched her inhale the scent with her eyes closed, pressing the bottle to her chest. The image was so pure, almost prayer-like, it drew him in.
"Oh, right—this one's for you."
As if remembering something, Karuizawa clumsily stuffed her perfume away and took out another wooden-cased bottle.
"I picked it out just for you. Took me a while... I think it suits you."
Kitagawa sniffed the small bottle. His familiarity with scents let him quickly identify basil, wormwood, and mint in the top notes, a hint of citrus, lavender as the main note, and underlying rose and incense at the base.
It was a classic men's fragrance. Seeing her expectant eyes, he couldn't bring himself to reject it.
"I'll take it."
Relieved, Karuizawa relaxed. The herbal scent that soon wafted from Kitagawa made her feel like she was leaving her mark on him.
And she didn't dislike that illusion. In fact, she enjoyed the mingling of their scents—it gave her the fleeting feeling of holding his hand. She quickened her pace, but Kitagawa suddenly turned and trapped her against a tree.
"Someone's here."
Reading his lips, Karuizawa instantly sobered. Though they'd picked a secluded, surveillance-free area, there was still the risk of someone passing by. If a fellow first-year student saw Class C and Class D's leaders meeting privately, the consequences would be severe.
Chilled by the thought, she quickly reacted:
"You brought me here for this nonsense?"
She shoved Kitagawa's arm away, leaned on the tree, arms crossed, foot tapping impatiently.
"I just heard Karuizawa-san got enough points from Class B to erase her debt. Naturally, I'm curious."
Kitagawa remained calm, back turned to the hidden observer.
"I've already paid you for this month. I don't want to see you again. Send someone else next time."
Karuizawa Kei, unlike the girl she had just been, spoke with a firm aura.
"Still hung up about Class B, Kitagawa?"
"Tch."
Annoyed, Kitagawa clicked his tongue.
"If you D-class people hadn't meddled, Class B would already be Class C."
"Then blame your own Ryuuen for being careless."
Karuizawa smirked.
"I'm actually curious how much it cost you to make peace with Class B."
"None of your business."
Kitagawa's expression darkened.
"Even if Class D benefitted this time, you've already lost your advantage. Losing four students means you've fallen behind for good."
"That's not your concern either."
Karuizawa shot back with his own words, unflinching.
"You're upset because your debt tactic didn't work, huh? Well, cheap tricks like that don't work twice. Whether it's you or Ryuuen, you guys are just bottom-feeders. Class D will surpass Class C."
"I'll be looking forward to it."
Kitagawa sneered.
"Let's just hope you make it through the finals. Another four dropouts would be... rough."
With that, he turned and left. Karuizawa clicked her tongue and exited the other way.
Moments later, a muscular man stepped out from behind a tree, holding a camera.
"Boss, task completed."
He spoke into his collar.
"Task your ass. Quit the English."
Kitagawa appeared behind Ishizaki Daichi and smacked him.
"You addicted to acting like a spy now? There's nothing in your collar but last night's drool."
"Hehe... got into character."
Ishizaki scratched his head sheepishly. Since Kitagawa roped him into filming on the first day of school, he hadn't stopped. Originally, Ryuuen was supposed to do this job, but Ishizaki insisted on taking it.
"But boss, what was that lie for just now?"
"Testing Kei's reflexes."
Kitagawa scrolled through the footage casually.
"Might be useful later."
-------------------------------------
That night, just as Karuizawa Kei casually knocked on Kitagawa Ryo's door, ready to proudly show off her quick thinking from earlier in the day, she was greeted by a surprising scene in the living room.
On the TV, a clip was playing on repeat:
"You brought me here for this nonsense?" "You brought me here for this nonsense?" "You brought me here for this nonsense?"
On screen, her own face twisted in disgust as she shoved Kitagawa's arm away. But with the repetition, the line began to take on a tsundere tone.
"Oh, not bad acting," Kitagawa commented while munching on potato chips. A faint lavender scent lingered around him.
"Ryo."
"Hmm?"
Karuizawa had somehow ended up standing right beside him. Her smile bloomed sweetly.
"Give me your hand."
Still confused, Kitagawa extended his right hand—only for Karuizawa to grab it and give it a light bite. Her pressure wasn't much stronger than a kitten's, leaving just a faint tooth mark on the back of his hand.
"That's for tricking me!"
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