Looking at Ayanokōji's thoughtful expression, Shimizu Akira couldn't quite decipher what was going on in his mind.
What normal person would try to recruit a wingman with just a single drink? They should at least offer a proper meal.
Moreover, Ayanokōji was highly capable in various aspects. If he agreed to do something, the probability of him succeeding was extremely high.
Shimizu couldn't help but speak up: "You're being used as a tool! You're too easy to please. The price for getting you to act is far too low."
"...A tool?" Ayanokōji gave Shimizu an inexplicable glance, his eyes holding some indescribable emotion.
Shimizu couldn't tell if he genuinely didn't understand or was pretending not to. But regardless, the other had helped him this morning—he wouldn't dismiss him with a few hundred points like Yamauchi would.
"I'll transfer you 10,000 points as a thank you," Shimizu said without hesitation. "This has been bothering me for several days. At the very least, you helped me figure out exactly how many people are watching me."
"10,000 points?"
If Ayanokōji remembered correctly, the minimum points each person could receive this month was only 8,000.
That meant, like himself, the other hadn't spent his points last month except for necessary expenses.
But even so, 10,000 points was by no means a small amount.
It also sufficiently indicated that the other was genuinely grateful for his earlier reminder.
The drink Yamauchi had offered was only 200 points. This amount was fifty times that.
Furthermore, Yamauchi, because he hadn't kept his promise, had forcibly made him pay for the drink instead.
(Shimizu Akira is quite a good person.)
Ayanokōji quietly reached this conclusion in his heart.
He treated him to coffee last time, invited him for a run this time, reminded him not to be used as a tool by others, and now was even willing to give 10,000 points as a reward.
He was different from Hirata, the class's公认 nice guy.
Shimizu's kindness seemed reserved only for those he was interested in.
Just like his behavior towards Horikita Suzune.
In Ayanokōji's eyes, Shimizu Akira's abilities were exceptionally outstanding in every aspect; he should have been a candidate for Class A.
If he were to proactively step up and lead Class D forward, there was a high probability they could compete directly with Class A.
Yet, like himself, the other seemed completely uninterested in the class's rise and fall.
In a way, the two of them were quite similar.
"Let's go, change clothes and get breakfast. This meal is my thanks for running with me."
"Okay."
They returned to their respective rooms to change, then headed to the cafeteria together.
During breakfast, Shimizu casually remarked that Ayanokōji's intentional score suppression was too obvious and suggested he randomly lower his scores next time instead. Ayanokōji listened and seemed to have a sudden moment of realization, nodding slightly.
But how much of that nod was genuine understanding and how much was mere politeness, Shimizu couldn't be sure.
The noisy chatter in the cafeteria, mixed with the clinking of utensils, added a careless, casual air to their somewhat abrupt conversation.
Since there were no classes today, Shimizu returned directly to his dorm after eating.
At 8:00 AM sharp, three new pieces of intel refreshed:
[1. Karuizawa Kei from Class 1-D, due to multiple absences, will be formally dismissed by the Boxing Club President next Monday.]
[2. Ayanokōji Atsuomi manages a secret educational institution called the "White Room."]
[3. Today at 6:00 PM, the daily essentials section of the school supermarket will have a 20% discount.]
Shimizu's brow furrowed slightly; the information in the first piece of intel genuinely surprised him.
Huh? But she only took one day off, right?
He opened his phone and scrolled through the chat history—it was just a few days ago; she said she was tired and only asked for one day off.
(Has she not been going to the boxing club these past few days?)
Shimizu's mouth twitched.
Taking one day off was understandable.
But taking several days off in a row? What was that about?
He remembered clearly when he joined the boxing club, the president had explained the rules plainly: you could take leave, but you had to state the reason.
Unless under special circumstances, you absolutely could not take more than three consecutive days off, otherwise it could be grounds for dismissal.
After all, there were very few managers in the boxing club, but many members. Losing one person meant the remaining managers had to shoulder double the workload, which was simply unsustainable.
As for the second piece of intel, Shimizu felt completely baffled looking at it.
(What is the "White Room"?)
(And who is Ayanokōji Atsuomi?)
However, just based on the name, the person was likely related to Ayanokōji Kiyotaka. This intel sounded unusual, and he didn't dare ask Ayanokōji about it rashly, so he decided to set it aside for now.
The last one! This was actually the most useful piece of intel today.
"So the supermarket has a 20% discount in the evening. Perfect timing to stock up on some things," Shimizu muttered to himself.
Although he had ample points, it felt like a waste not to take advantage of a rare discount, so he decided to go shopping in the evening.
After reviewing the three pieces of intel, and since it was the weekend with no classes, it was time to relax properly.
The laptop gifted by the president was still on the desk. Shimizu suddenly remembered that during his last chat with Hokamura Hideo, the other mentioned that "Henshoku" had released a second season.
"Need to catch up on that."
Thinking this, he opened the laptop, searched for the "Henshoku" resource on a video site, casually used points to purchase a membership, and decided to rewatch from MyGo!! episode one—after all, it had been quite a while since he last watched it, and starting from the beginning would make it more enjoyable.
However, by the third episode, those dormant memories suddenly flooded back, and the plot progression for all subsequent episodes instantly became clear in his mind.
He recalled that a particularly explosive scene was coming up around episode eight.
"I didn't join for the band in the first place!"
When he watched MyGo!!, was it really to see these band girls perform seriously? On the contrary, the tangled, messy relationships between them, and those famous "band-breakup" scenes, were the real reasons he found it so engaging.
After all, there were plenty of anime about bands. If he really wanted to listen to music and watch performances, he might as well rewatch K-On! or Bocchi the Rock! a few more times.
As the image of the girls arguing while holding their instruments flashed across the screen, Shimizu nodded unconsciously. He suddenly felt the dramatic tension of the plot was far more interesting than simple performances.
Just then, his room door suddenly knocked.
Simultaneously, a voice filled with accusation came from the computer: "Naze 'Haru no Hikage' o ensō suru no?!" (Why are you playing 'Haru no Hikage'?!)
Shimizu was startled, his gaze shifting away from Soyo's instantly broken expression on the screen.
(Who is it? Coming to my door on the weekend? And right at this key moment in the plot...)
He didn't pause the MyGo!! playback; having seen it before anyway, he wasn't worried about missing anything.
Thinking he'd just deal with the person at the door quickly, he got up, shuffling in his slippers.
"Who is it?"
A clear, slightly urgent voice came from outside the door: "It's me, Karuizawa Kei."