Morning sunlight filtered through the classroom curtains as Shimizu Akira took his seat. Precisely at 8:00 AM, today's intel flashed across his vision:
[1. Nagumo Miyabi currently holds the highest personal point total in the school.]
[2. Kushida Kikyō and Horikita Suzune were classmates in middle school.]
[3. Chabashira Sae was formerly a Class D student at Advanced Nurturing High School. During a special exam in her third year, she narrowly lost to Class A and graduated as Class B.]
Shimizu analyzed each point methodically.
The first confirmed prior hints from Chabashira-sensei and Satō-senpai.
For Nagumo Miyabi—a second-year—to surpass all third-years in personal wealth spoke volumes about his resource-gathering prowess. Shimizu estimated the boy's account held at least 50 million points, possibly more.
This inevitably drew comparisons to the current student council president, Horikita Manabu.
(So even the president can't compete with Nagumo financially.)
He recalled their last collaboration, where he'd offered a 30% cut, only to be politely declined. According to Satō-senpai, Horikita frequently subsidized point-starved Class D students.
(The president's priorities clearly lie elsewhere.)
His gaze lingered between the second and third bullet points, brow furrowing.
Kushida and Horikita—middle school classmates?
These two, whose personalities were polar opposites, shared that history? The intel didn't specify if they'd been in the same class, so they might've merely attended the same school.
(That would explain why they seem like strangers now…)
(Or more accurately—Horikita might genuinely not remember Kushida.)
(But whether Kushida recognizes Horikita… that's the real question.)
He made a mental note to probe subtly later.
Then came the third revelation—Chabashira-sensei was a Class D alumna who'd nearly reached Class A?
Shimizu nearly launched from his seat.
The stern homeroom teacher had walked these halls as a student? And she'd barely missed the apex?
(Meaning…)
He pieced it together swiftly.
She'd faltered in the final special exam of her third year.
This cast Chabashira-sensei in a new light.
Hoshinomiya Chie had once offhandedly mentioned they'd been best friends since high school. Now, the duo had returned as teachers, both assigned to first-year classes—a coincidence? Unlikely.
(Everyone's hiding something… Do they all have skeletons in their closets?)
Interlude: The Shoe Incident
During the third-period break, Shimizu's phone buzzed with two texts from Kamuro Masumi:
[Kamuro]: Are my shoes still with you?!
[Kamuro]: You didn't do anything weird to them, right?!
His eye twitched.
(What does she take me for…?)
He typed back swiftly:
[Shimizu]: I didn't touch them. And no, they're not here anymore.
An instant reply:
[Kamuro]: Don't tell me you threw them out!
He exhaled through his nose.
[Shimizu]: No. I gave them to the dorm's front desk. Just give your name to retrieve them.
Truthfully, after Kamuro stormed off, he'd carefully repackaged the handmade shoes and handed them to staff untouched.
Another buzz:
[Kamuro]: …Good call. I'll check after school.
Then, a rapid-fire volley:
[Kamuro]: Last time, your meddling ruined my plans! I didn't get to finish what I wanted to say, so listen up.
[Kamuro]: Your top priority now is saving up 20 million personal points.
Shimizu's eyebrow arched.
Ironically, this aligned perfectly with his current goal.
He replied succinctly:
[Shimizu]: Understood.
Kamuro wasn't done:
[Kamuro]: Obviously, you can't save 20 million alone! But scrape together what you can. If you perform well these next few months, Class A will notice. Who knows—another class might even buy you out!
[Kamuro]: Don't expect it soon, though. 20 million isn't pocket change for any class.
Her final message dripped with impatience:
[Kamuro]: Anyway, just do as I say.
Pocketing his phone, Shimizu dissected her words.
(So Class A's plan involves using 20 million to poach talent from other classes…?)
Her phrasing—"Class A will notice"—had been a glaring tell.
While 20 million points were unattainable for an individual, a top-tier class like A could pool resources. Even setting aside 2 million monthly, they'd hit the target in 10 months.
He hadn't anticipated Class A weaponizing the "20 million transfer rule" this way.
The strategy was brilliant in its simplicity:
Strengthen their own class by acquiring key players.
Cripple rivals by stripping them of core members.
In extreme cases, with enough points, they could "buy out" entire classes—effectively assimilating the competition.
(If you can't beat them… just purchase them.)
(This reeks of Katsuragi Kōhei's handiwork.)
Shimizu doubted Sakayanagi Arisu would devise such a team-oriented scheme. Collective strategy wasn't her style.