Kushida Kikyō's fingers flew across her screen:
*"Thank you for the intel~ I'm Kushida Kikyō from Class 1-D. How can I repay you, I wonder?"*
The moment she hit send, the status changed to "Typing..."
Tsuki Ao:"No need."
Kushida pressed on:
"By the way~ Which class are you in? And how did you get my contact info?"
The chat fell silent for several seconds—then a final message popped up:
"Ah... that's a secret. Gotta go take a bath now."
Shimizu Akira sent the message and immediately exited the chat.
He and Kushida had never conversed online before.
Though they'd exchanged contacts long ago, not a single word had passed between them until now.
This exchange was purely to fulfill Chabashira's task.
With the intel delivered, the conversation needed to end here.
He knew Kushida too well—the girl who thrived on social connections might casually mention this chat to others.
If she traced the account back to him...
It wasn't the leak itself he feared (such trades were commonplace here).
But if noisy classmates found out, they'd hound him for details.
Just imagining their clamoring voices made his temples throb.
"Troublesome." He double-checked the chat history.
This carefully crafted alias was a strategic asset—essential for future negotiations with Classes A through C.
Losing it to Kushida's loose lips would be unforgivably wasteful.
Stealth was paramount.
[Ding~ Today's Intel Updated]
[Intel 1: Class 1-C's leader is Ryūen Kakeru]
[Intel 2: Class 1-A's Katsuragi Kōhei suffers from atrichia]
[Intel 3: Tonight at 19:55, Horikita Suzune will be physically disciplined by Horikita Manabu behind the first-year dorms.]
At precisely 8:00 AM on Tuesday, the daily intel refreshed.
After days of accumulation, Shimizu had begun categorizing intel by priority:
Top-tier: Predictive events (e.g., Kushida vs. Kōenji's bus seat clash, Kamuro's attempted beer theft).
Mid-tier: School/class-wide mechanics.
Lowest: Personal secrets.
Today's haul was decent—one class intel, one future event, one private fact.
(So besides Class D, every other class has a clear leader...?)
Class A was simplest: Sakayanagi & Katsuragi co-ruled (as Kamuro had confirmed).
Class B undisputedly followed Ichihōse Honami (per Hoshinomiya's own words).
Class C's answer came straight from the intel: Ryūen Kakeru.
(What kind of person is he? How does he control Class C?)
As for Class D... the dynamics were murkier.
On the surface, Hirata and Kushida held influence—but "central figures" fit better than "leaders."
Their authority stemmed from natural charisma, not deliberate rule.
There was a fundamental difference between "popular individuals" and "true leaders."
Real leaders understood:
Being disliked by some was inevitable.
Enforcing discipline was necessary.
The invisible boundary between superior and subordinate.
Yet Class D's "central figures"?
Hirata played the eternal nice guy, afraid to take stands.
Kushida buried conflicts under fake smiles.
This superficial harmony exposed their leadership deficiencies.
(Class D remains scattered sand... because it lacks a true helmsman.)
(...So this was Chabashira-sensei's real goal.)
The hidden layers of yesterday's transaction crystallized:
Chabashira had deliberately tasked him with informing only one of the two "leaders"—to see which faction he'd empower.
The 1 million-point deal was, at its core, a leadership assessment.
Whoever received the intel would solidify dominance over the other.
But Shimizu couldn't care less about Class D's power struggles.
What truly stunned him was Intel 3.
(Horikita Suzune getting beaten by her brother? Since when was this a thing?)
(The Student Council president assaulting someone? That's blatant rule-breaking.)
After school, the classroom chatter died as crisp claps rang out.
"Everyone, may I have your attention?"
Kushida stood at the podium, smoothing her skirt with that signature sweet smile.
"Of course!"
"What is it, Kushida-chan?"
The girls responded eagerly—proof of her ironclad popularity.
"So..." She paused dramatically, then lowered her voice. "I accidentally learned an astonishing secret yesterday."
A breath. Then, with feigned gravitas:
"Besides private points, the school has something called 'class points.' And—"
"If ours hit zero... no one gets any personal points next month!"
"Oh... that?"
"We already know, Kushida-san."
Instead of the shocked uproar she expected, the class responded with bored acknowledgment.
Hirata Yōsuke stood awkwardly, scratching his cheek. "Sorry, Kushida-san. I heard this yesterday from another source and already discussed it with some classmates..."
(Damn it—!)
Her carefully staged revelation had been scooped by Hirata.
And more crucially—who the hell was his source?