(Heh... She seems to be in a good mood.)
Sakayanagi Arisu suddenly stood up and walked over to Kamuro Masumi, observing her quietly.
Though Kamuro was scrolling through her phone, it was obvious to anyone watching—she was subtly bouncing her leg, clearly in high spirits.
Just last night, Sakayanagi had told her about "Shimizu Akira using you as a bet." At the time, Kamuro had been furious. How had she calmed down so quickly?
Sakayanagi didn't know the details of what had transpired between them, but she could guess—Shimizu had likely used some method to completely placate her.
(After all, that man's intelligence and emotional IQ are first-rate—no less than mine.)
Her judgment of Shimizu stemmed, in part, from the fact that he had beaten her before.
(Which means Kamuro Masumi's feelings toward Shimizu Akira aren't as indifferent as she pretended yesterday.)
Sakayanagi reached this conclusion effortlessly.
Think about it—if the two of them weren't close, would Kamuro have gotten so angry in the first place?
Last month, Shimizu had even personally told her that Kamuro Masumi was his friend.
(Somehow, this irritates me—Shimizu Akira has never acknowledged me as a friend.)
So far, Kamuro was the only person Shimizu had openly called a friend.
Given his personality, he didn't make friends lightly.
Those he acknowledged were likely the kind who could share his burdens—the type who'd actually help when needed.
(I wonder what Kamuro Masumi did to earn such recognition from him.)
Jealous? Maybe just a little.
Sakayanagi admitted this emotion freely—after all, Shimizu was an opponent she respected.
But right now, such trivial sentiments had no place in her mind.
She closed her eyes briefly, reopening them with renewed clarity.
Different people required different strategies.
To summarize in four lines:
Those who value profit—entice with gains.
Those who value righteousness—appeal to morals.
The foolish—subdue with force.
The image-conscious—threaten reputation.
Thus, she had already devised the best way to recruit Kamuro.
"Kamuro-san... hello." She repeated the same greeting from yesterday.
"I don't want to talk to you. Get lost!"
Despite her frequent tsundere act toward Shimizu, Kamuro rarely bothered speaking to those she genuinely despised—after all, when you truly hated someone, even conversation was unbearable.
And Sakayanagi Arisu was one such person.
She wasn't an idiot—Sakayanagi's words last night had obviously been meant to provoke.
Not to mention, on the very first day of school, it was Sakayanagi who had suggested using her as a betting chip.
Under these circumstances, feeling even a shred of goodwill toward Sakayanagi would be downright delusional.
"I'd like to discuss Shimizu Akira from Class D." Sakayanagi maintained her elegant smile, unfazed by Kamuro's hostility.
"Sakayanagi Arisu!" Kamuro slammed her hands on the table, standing abruptly. "Do you really think I can't see through your games?"
"Now, now, no need for anger." Sakayanagi shook her head lightly. "This time, I'm not here to speak ill of Shimizu-kun. Rather... it's about his future transfer to Class A."
Kamuro's pupils constricted. "What... did you say?"
"During Monday's homeroom, Katsuragi-kun must have mentioned it, no?" Sakayanagi spoke leisurely. "Class A will recruit talent from other classes. Someone like Shimizu-kun—who has beaten me—would naturally be a prime candidate."
She paused meaningfully. "Kamuro-san must agree, no? You'd also like to see Shimizu-kun join Class A, wouldn't you?"
Her words were sincere. In her eyes, Shimizu did possess such capability.
"...Rare to hear something decent from you." Kamuro scoffed, though she couldn't deny it.
"So then..." A glint of cunning flashed in Sakayanagi's eyes. "How about Kamuro-san becomes my aide from now on? I guarantee that once our class accumulates 20 million points, Shimizu-kun will be the first person we 'purchase.'" She emphasized the word "purchase."
Sakayanagi was confident. In her view, someone of Kamuro's intellect could never see through the trap hidden in this proposal.
However—
"Ha!" Kamuro let out a derisive laugh. "Sakayanagi Arisu, do you take me for a child? It'll take ages to save up 20 million! Besides..."
"You have no intention of actually letting Shimizu Akira join Class A, do you? To you, he's just an opponent to crush. Who would fall for such a pathetic lie?"
Crossing her arms, she glared down at Sakayanagi. "Trying to get something for nothing? At least bring some real bargaining chips!"
(Tch... Since when did she become so sharp?)
(Could it be... Shimizu Akira's influence?)
A flicker of surprise crossed Sakayanagi's face, but she quickly regained her composure.
"The intel I just shared with the class—you're free to pass it all to Shimizu-kun. If he relays it to Class D's leadership, it'll surely boost his standing there. Perhaps... even earn him some recognition from Class A students, increasing his chances of transferring."
"You..." Kamuro's brow furrowed. "Didn't you say you wanted to cooperate with Class D? Just releasing the info is enough?"
"Cooperating with Shimizu-kun personally isn't the same as cooperating with all of Class D~ Besides! It's just Class D—a gathering of defective goods. What's there to fear?" Sakayanagi chuckled softly.
Kamuro pressed her lips together, silent for a moment, her fingers tapping absently against her phone case. Suddenly, she shot Sakayanagi a glare.
"Let me ask him first. If he's already figured it out—just like you did—wouldn't I be getting scammed?"
Sakayanagi's eye twitched imperceptibly—this woman's mind worked fast.
Truthfully, she also suspected Shimizu had likely deduced the truth already.
"What if you just turn around and tell Shimizu-kun everything?" She leaned in slightly, her tone probing.
"I'm not that kind of person! I'll ask right in front of you, how's that?" Kamuro pulled out her phone, thumbs flying across the screen as she fired off a message demanding answers about the special exam.
The glow of the screen illuminated both their faces. Watching Kamuro's thumb hover over the send button, Sakayanagi suddenly found the scene absurd.
Soon, the screen lit up—Shimizu's reply popped up, his messages eerily matching Sakayanagi's earlier analysis.
Kamuro snorted, shooting Sakayanagi a disdainful look.
"See? He knew about the exam trick the next day—a whole day before you! In other words, you've got nothing to bargain with now."
"Scram. Trying to freeload? Not happening." She waved a hand dismissively, the motion practically radiating "get lost."
Sakayanagi suddenly felt as if the world had turned upside down—how had things come to this?
In her plans, manipulating Kamuro should've been effortless. Yet now, scheme after scheme had failed to move her.
"I'll pay you! Consider this a job—help me just this once." As a last resort, she played her final card, a faint tension in her voice.
Kamuro raised an eyebrow, sneering. "Speaking of which, didn't you just get a 200,000-point reward? Oh, right—how much did you bet against him last time?"
"50,000."
"Transfer me 30,000 points. Now." Kamuro took half a step forward, chin lifted. "I might help you—but only this once. Otherwise, forget it. And don't bother me again."
"..."
Sakayanagi stared at Kamuro's triumphant expression, fury igniting in her chest.
(What the hell is wrong with this woman?! 30,000 points for one favor?!)
(Is she as money-obsessed as Shimizu Akira now?! Did I just get bullied by Kamuro Masumi?!)