Chapter 031 Class A Has Begun Its Move; Classes B and C Seem to Be Lacking
"Maya! Chiaki!" Karuizawa Kei suddenly raised her voice. "Sorry, I might not be able to go shopping with everyone later!"
"Eh? Karuizawa? Did something happen?" The two girls turned to look at her in surprise.
Karuizawa Kei instinctively glanced toward Shimizu Akira before straightening her back and announcing, "I've decided that starting today after school, I'm joining the boxing club!"
"The boxing club?!" Satou Maya's eyes widened. "Can girls join a sports club like that?"
"Of course they can!" Karuizawa Kei put her hands on her hips and added triumphantly, "But I'm going as the manager!"
"A manager! That sounds great!" Satou Maya's eyes lit up. "The boxing club is one of the popular clubs in school. Speaking of which..." She suddenly lowered her voice and winked mischievously, "Isn't Shimizu-kun one of the members there?"
Karuizawa Kei gave a light cough. "Mhm... so from today on, I'll be going to club activities with him..."
"Ehhh—?" Shinohara suddenly leaned in, nudging her with an elbow and a sly grin. "Are you guys... dating?"
"N-No, nothing like that!" Karuizawa Kei waved her hands frantically.
"It's just that we happen to be going to the same place!"
She thought to herself: In a sense, I'm actually someone whose confession was rejected.
Shimizu Akira's phone suddenly vibrated. He looked down and saw a message, but it wasn't from Chabashira Sae; it was a text from Kamuro Masumi of Class A:
[Kamuro Masumi: Save your points from now on.]
That usually cold Class A honor student was actually taking the initiative to warn him?
He quickly replied: [Has Sakayanagi Arisu already revealed the S-System intelligence to you all?]
She replied almost instantly: [You react quite fast. Doesn't seem like the level Class D should have.]
A second message followed: [Otherwise, how else do you think Sakayanagi Arisu earned the right to be one of the core figures of Class A?]
A flash of surprise crossed Shimizu's eyes. He tapped the screen: [One of? There are other core figures in Class A?]
Kamuro's reply was somewhat meaningful: [Katsuragi Kohei. He has a steady style and does things flawlessly. He carries quite a bit of prestige in the class.]
Shimizu fell into a brief contemplation. It was clear that Class A had already been completely integrated into a single unit. Sakayanagi Arisu, like him, had already grasped the key intelligence the school was deliberately hiding.
His gaze fell back on the second piece of intelligence: [Intelligence 2: Public Class Points situation after the first month of school: Class A: 940 pts | Class B: 650 pts | Class C: 490 pts | Class D: 0 pts]
If they hadn't known the inside story beforehand, it would be almost impossible for Class A to obtain such a staggering 940 points in the first month. Beyond the cold data, many key pieces of information were hidden. For instance, except for Class A, the other classes had clearly not discovered these hidden rules yet. Otherwise, the scores for Classes B and C wouldn't remain at 650 and 490.
Class B's performance was particularly interesting. When he spent ten thousand points to buy intelligence, that senior had told him explicitly: in past competitions, Class B was often the class with the most potential for a "reversal" against Class A. Yet, the current score showed a clear gap from that expectation.
'Strange... with Ichinose Honami's social skills, she shouldn't have come up empty-handed.'
Shimizu rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He remembered clearly that at the start of the term, the pink-haired girl was already active across different grades. By the second day, she had gathered over a hundred contacts.
'Are you just purely making friends, Ichinose-san?'
He suddenly realized something, his gaze sharpening.
'Wait... could it be that she just didn't come into contact with those desperate Class D students?'
This thought made everything clear. In this school, the only ones who would sell out class secrets for a few private points were likely those few self-destructive Class D students. As for the other classes, it was impossible for them to do something as stupid as betraying their class for a mere 20,000 or 30,000 personal points.
'The math just doesn't add up...'
Shimizu quickly calculated the gains and losses in his head. 20,000 to 30,000 personal points seemed attractive, but converted into Class Points, it was only 200 to 300 points. If the school discovered the violation, they could easily deduct 100 or 200 Class Points—meaning the entire class would lose hundreds of thousands or more in fixed monthly income.
This kind of "killing the goose that lays the golden egg" approach would only be considered by those who were truly cornered.
As for Class C—
'Come to think of it, I haven't had any contact with anyone from Class C yet...'
The organizational structure of that class remained a mystery to him. Whether Class C possessed a soul-figure capable of leading the entire class—like Sakayanagi for Class A or Ichinose for Class B—was still a question mark.
After thinking for a long time, Shimizu tapped the screen again: [By the way, Sakayanagi Arisu didn't cause trouble for you because of that beer can, did she?]
Kamuro Masumi's reply carried obvious annoyance: [? Do you think I'm that kind of idiot? You already disposed of the evidence. Besides—]
The message paused for two seconds, [I am a member of Class A, after all. How could I be caught by the collar over a single can of beer?]
Shimizu's fingers moved briskly: [Hard to say. I remember the first time we met, you almost showed your entire hand—not very 'Class A' style. I feel like if I hadn't shown up, you'd have become Sakayanagi Arisu's puppet completely. For example, you'd be the one holding an umbrella for her on a rainy day.]
As soon as the message was sent, the phone vibrated violently.
[Shimizu Akira! You want to die, don't you?!] Kamuro's anger was almost palpable through the screen, [I only just realized—the first time we met, you were calling me stupid in a roundabout way, weren't you?! Who would hold an umbrella for Sakayanagi Arisu! She's a genius of Class A, but am I not one too?]
[Forget it! Talking more with a person like you is a waste of time.]
Shimizu looked at the screen, his fingers pausing for a moment, before he seriously typed: [Sorry, I went too far this time. But... it's good as long as you aren't being used by Sakayanagi Arisu.]
After the message showed as "Read," the top of the chat box continuously displayed "The other party is typing..."
It took a full half-minute before he finally received a reply:
[Do a dogeza (prostrate apology) and let me step on your head to atone.]
[Heh~]
Shimizu put down his phone thoughtfully and turned his gaze to Horikita Suzune beside him. He weighed his words and asked with mock seriousness, "Horikita-san, if a girl sends 'Heh~' as a reply, what does it usually mean?"
Without lifting her head from her textbook, Horikita Suzune let out a cold, meaningful snort: "Hmph~"
Shimizu blinked.
Now, here was the question... what did a girl's "Hmph" mean?
Chapter 032 Men Compare Muscles as Much as Sizes!
The current Captain of the boxing club is Sato-senpai from 3rd Year Class A. He was the runner-up in last year's National High School Boxing Championships. This is a heavyweight achievement, equivalent to being the second-best high school boxer in the nation—a top-tier honor by any standard.
Thanks to these results, Sato-senpai was scouted by the national team early on.
After graduation, he is not only guaranteed admission to a top sports university but might even go pro immediately.
Furthermore, graduating from Class A means his academic grades are equally outstanding; even without sports recruitment, his academics alone could easily land him in a prestigious university. He is a true master of both the pen and the sword, with a limitless future.
However, having entered his third year, Sato-senpai's role naturally shifted—he now serves as both the Captain and the club coach.
Currently, he pours his heart into training the second-year members and guiding the freshmen.
Captain Sato's personality is as straightforward as his jab—conversations between men are usually settled directly with fists in the ring.
At high noon.
When Shimizu Akira brought Karuizawa Kei to the boxing club, Captain Sato didn't even wait for them to finish explaining their visit before laughing and giving the green light:
"A manager? No problem at all!"
He then landed a heavy fist on Shimizu's shoulder, vibrating through him and making him take a half-step back. Among the many freshmen, Captain Sato held special expectations for Shimizu Akira—this kouhai was like an unpolished gem.
Generally speaking, people with exceptional physical builds have usually dabbled in one or two martial arts. However, such people often carry hard-to-correct habits—like karate practitioners who instinctively want to use a roundhouse kick, which is an absolute taboo under boxing rules.
But Shimizu was different. This kouhai had spent eight whole years practicing only the fundamentals, like a max-level "novice" account in a game that stubbornly refused to change classes.
Precisely because of this, when he formally began systematic boxing training, his progress was startlingly fast—a pure foundation served as the most precious blank canvas.
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Before the two left, Sato-senpai tapped Shimizu's shoulder.
"You don't need to come to training so frequently in the future." Seeing the other's slight daze, Sato-senpai added with a smile,
"Just come occasionally. To be honest, your rate of progress... is simply terrifying."
The senior's gaze swept over the other freshmen practicing at the side of the ring.
"It might affect the morale of the other members. If you find yourself with nothing to do, you could go check out the Student Council."
Shimizu Akira nodded slightly without saying much. Within this naturally gifted body, there was indeed a hidden, astonishing athletic talent.
"That Captain Sato... he seems to think very highly of you." On the way back to the classroom, Karuizawa Kei suddenly broke the silence.
Shimizu shrugged. "He's just lusting after this strong body of mine."
Karuizawa's footsteps suddenly halted. On that point, she realized with a start that she was no different from that boisterous boxing Captain.
"Having you ask that Captain for me... I feel a bit bad about it, haha." Karuizawa tried to hide her awkwardness with a light laugh.
Shimizu spread his hands. "Well, eighty thousand points aren't for nothing."
"Speaking of which—why did you protect Sakura-san earlier? Don't tell me... she signed some secret treaty with you too?"
"No, nothing like that."
"Eh—? No? That's so unfair! I'm the one who actually paid eighty thousand points!"
"You didn't buy exclusive protection rights."
Karuizawa pouted in dissatisfaction, but Shimizu merely gave her a passing glance and acted as if he hadn't heard. The money she paid bought his protection, but there was no rule saying he could only protect her.
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When the afternoon swimming class arrived, the students headed toward their respective changing rooms. It was then that Shimizu noticed the unique nature of Japanese high school swimming classes.
The girls wore standard one-piece swimsuits, while the boys only had to wear a pair of athletic trunks.
It was essentially a public execution for one's physique.
Seeing several thin boys awkwardly hugging their arms, Shimizu shook his head inwardly—in this setting, out-of-shape boys probably felt a hundred times more ashamed than the girls in swimsuits.
However, to him personally, being shirtless was no big deal.
Inside the changing room, as Shimizu stood bare-chested, he suddenly noticed that Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's physique was also unexpectedly outstanding.
His muscle lines were perfectly proportioned, with every fiber showing a flawless, streamlined shape.
This refined build surpassed even Hirata Yousuke's fitness and Sudo Ken's brawn, displaying an introverted yet extreme aesthetic of power. Looking at the entire class, perhaps only Koenji Rokusuke's "perfect" physique and Shimizu himself could stand on par with him.
The other boys' eyes were instinctively drawn to these three. Some subconsciously felt their own thin stomachs, while others stood a little straighter. Aside from secretly comparing certain unspeakable sizes, the clash of muscles was a silent war.
"Shimizu-kun, Ayanokouji-kun, how on earth did you guys build these bodies?!" Ike Kanji suddenly leaned in, his eyes sparkling with both envy and suspicion.
Shimizu crossed his arms and answered with a straight face: "It's simple. 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10km run every single day. And no matter how hot it gets, absolutely no air conditioning."
Ayanokouji remained expressionless, his tone as flat as if he were announcing the weather: "Nothing special. I just inherited my parents' constitution."
"Hey! You two!" Ike Kanji's mouth twitched as he shouted, "One is obviously talking nonsense from reading too many manga, and the other can't even be bothered to make up a decent excuse! Who are you trying to fool with such half-hearted answers?!"
The surrounding boys burst out laughing, but their eyes still lingered on those two perfect physiques for a few more seconds—no matter how much they tried to hide it, their envy and jealousy were plain to see.
Shortly after the boys arrived at the pool area, the girls appeared at the changing room entrance in small groups. Surprisingly, several girls including Hasebe Haruka and Sakura Airi did not head straight to the pool, but appeared on the second-floor viewing platform instead.
However, before the boys could lament Hasebe's absence, a commotion broke out at the pool entrance a second later—Kushida Kikyou had arrived.
She walked with light steps, the sunlight reflecting off the water to outline her perfect curves. Her fair thighs vibrated slightly with each step, her full hips appeared even firmer in the swimsuit, and the impressive arc of her chest made the boys collectively hold their breath.
"Uwah!"
"That's insane!"
Exclamations of wonder exploded among the boys. Shimizu couldn't help but steal several glances himself before slowly looking away.
'I have to admit, Kushida Kikyou's figure is truly something else.'
Chapter 033 Kushida Kikyo is Far from a Gold Digger
In Class D, if one were to speak of looks and physique, Kushida Kikyo might not be the most outstanding individual. However, she possessed a unique charm—a subtle aura situated between virginal innocence and feminine allure that made her the consensus choice for the most "sexy" girl in class.
When she conversed with boys, her defenseless, innocent demeanor—the way she slightly tilted her head or her natural, effortless smile—was more heart-stirring than any calculated flirtation.
She didn't even need to strike a pose; she simply displayed her youthful curves with confidence. That innate sexiness caused the boys of Class D to collectively lament in their hearts:
'—Kushida-san is truly playing foul.'
Shimizu Akira sat on the edge of the pool, silently watching Kushida as she was surrounded by boys like stars orbiting the moon. She was brushing back her wet hair, and water droplets slid down her neck into the hollow of her collarbone, triggering a wave of restrained commotion among the surrounding males.
'What a skilled performance...'
He remembered how, at the start of the term, Yamauchi Haruki's group followed Hasebe Haruka around like lapdogs; now, they had all become Kushida's loyal followers.
This seemingly sunny and cheerful girl was clearly much sharper than she appeared—she knew exactly how to use a fleeting gaze or a perfectly timed bit of physical contact to keep the boys revolving around her.
Shimizu narrowed his eyes as a memory from his university days flashed back. Weren't those girls from the neighboring major who were experts at "maintaining a fishpond" just like this? His roommates had been played for fools, even saving lunch money to buy them gifts.
However, Kushida Kikyo clearly didn't fit the label of a "sea-woman" (player)—at least as far as Shimizu knew, she had never accepted a single gift or point from any male classmate.
On the contrary, she frequently spent her own money on snacks to enthusiastically distribute to the class. She was obsessed with building friendships with everyone. If she were truly a calculating woman, she would likely only hang around the wealthy "second-generation" rich kids.
What Kushida Kikyo truly craved was the spotlight of attention.
She yearned to be watched with eyes full of admiration and longing.
Shimizu remembered once seeing Kushida crouched in a corner of the classroom, patiently teaching the somewhat introverted Wang Mei-yu how to fold paper cranes. The sparkle in her eyes then was much more real than it was now while being mobbed by boys.
Ultimately, all she hungered for was the sincere gaze and recognition of others—this specific brand of adolescent vanity actually struck Shimizu as somewhat cute.
Compared to those materialistic gold diggers, Kushida's "little schemes" were as pure as a scene from a teen drama. Her level was simply too low.
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Soon after, Horikita Suzune walked over with crisp steps. Though not as curvaceous as Kushida, the fabric clinging to her skin clearly traced her graceful form—a waist that was slender but not frail, a perfect bust line, and tight leg muscles sculpted by long-term exercise.
Shimizu's gaze lingered on Horikita for a few extra seconds. After all, he had learned her measurements—79/54/79—through the intelligence system on the second day of school.
He still couldn't understand why Yamauchi Haruki always described her as "scrawny."
This was clearly a symmetrical physique shaped by rigorous training; every curve was exactly where it should be, maintaining a girl's slenderness while containing an introverted sense of power.
While he was lost in thought, Horikita walked straight toward him. Her sharp gaze unhesitatingly swept over his well-defined upper body, her cool eyes narrowing slightly with a hint of professional scrutiny.
"Your muscle lines are very symmetrical," she said, cutting straight to the point. "What kind of training do you usually do?"
"Just the basics," Shimizu told her the same line he used before. "100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10km run every day."
Horikita's eyebrows twitched imperceptibly. "I couldn't tell. Are you that strict with yourself?"
"It's just the basic requirement to maintain physical function." He rotated his shoulder joint. "Moderate exercise keeps the mind and body in optimal condition."
"Is that so?" Horikita's gaze lingered for a moment on his tensed back muscles. "My training volume doesn't reach that level; I just stick to morning jogs and basic physical conditioning."
Shimizu noticed the way the girl instinctively straightened her back while speaking.
"Horikita-san manages her figure very well. Your physical fitness is likely the best among the girls in our class."
She narrowed her eyes at his words.
"Oh? The premise of that conclusion is... that you have already carefully inspected the 'physical fitness' of all the girls in the class? That doesn't seem to fit your persona."
Shimizu shrugged, a candid curve appearing at the corner of his mouth.
"I am a physically and mentally healthy high school boy, after all. I have some instinctive curiosity. At this age, it's perfectly normal for boys and girls to be curious about the opposite sex's body.
By the way, just what kind of image have you built for me in your mind?" He caught the oddity in her phrasing and asked back.
Horikita Suzune turned her face slightly. "...I just feel that you are somewhat similar to a certain person."
"Wait." Shimizu had a bold guess. "You couldn't possibly be comparing me to your brother, could you?"
The girl's shoulders stiffened almost imperceptibly.
This reaction confirmed his suspicion—given Horikita Suzune's social circle, the only person she could possibly use as a benchmark was that older brother.
"Horikita-san," he took a half-step back, a hint of helpless amusement in his tone, "I didn't expect you to hold me in such high regard."
Horikita Manabu was already the leader of 3rd Year Class A and the Student Council President standing at the pinnacle of the school. He was essentially the "Number One" among the current students, a genius praised by all teachers as "the most outstanding Student Council President since the school's founding," without exception.
Shimizu never expected that Horikita Suzune had already placed him at the same starting line as her brother.
Horikita Suzune's gaze suddenly turned icy. "...Don't flatter yourself!"
Before her voice could fade, her right hand swung down like a sharp blade—only to be caught firmly in mid-air. Shimizu had blocked her wrist at some unknown moment, his thumb pressing right against her pulse, clearly feeling her quickened heartbeat.
"Let's stick to discussing things verbally," Shimizu slowly tightened his fingers.
"Why resort to a sneak attack? Besides, this should count as self-defense."
Their distance suddenly closed because of this move. Horikita could even feel his steady breathing. This realization made her jerk her hand back, while the latter simply waved his hand, maintaining his usual indifferent expression.
Chapter 034 Kushida Kikyo: Bitch, Drop Dead!
Shimizu Akira didn't pay much mind to Horikita Suzune, who was deliberately keeping her distance. The words he had just spoken had clearly touched a nerve.
'—That's just how bro-cons are.'
Man, it was really hot today. The sun was baking the tiles at the edge of the pool; he could feel the scorching heat even through his seat. Shimizu raised a hand to wipe away the sweat continuously seeping from his forehead.
'In this sweltering heat... I need to find a cool spot.'
His eyes instinctively drifted toward the shimmering pool. Thanks to the school's climate control system, the water remained at a pleasant temperature—neither heated by the sun nor chilled by the shade. A few impatient students had already leaped into the water, their joyful splashing echoing across the surface. During the gap while the PE teacher had yet to appear, most students remained gathered by the poolside in small groups, chatting.
"Might as well jump in to cool off."
Shimizu scanned the area and locked his gaze on the third lane, which was currently unoccupied.
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On the other side of the pool, Kushida Kikyo deliberately left the crowd and walked slowly toward Horikita Suzune, who was standing alone.
"Horikita-san, where did Shimizu-kun go?"
"Is there something wrong with your eyes? Can you not even distinguish between a man and a woman?"
"Hehe, it's just that you two are always inseparable~" Kushida's smile didn't fade in the slightest. "By the way, how is Horikita-san's swimming?"
"...Passable enough to swim," Horikita replied briefly, her tone distant.
"My swimming scores in middle school were always poor, but I finally made progress after hard training," Kushida said softly, her gaze drifting thoughtfully toward the pool.
"If you're looking for praise, go find someone else," Horikita responded coldly.
Kushida smiled slightly.
"You misunderstand, I didn't mean it like that. Speaking of which, when I asked Shimizu-kun last week if he could swim, he said he hadn't practiced much. But look now—" She pointed toward the pool. "He finished a full lap in just over twenty seconds."
At that moment, a commotion broke out in the boys' section. Sudo Ken and Koenji Rokusuke had already cleared out the students in a corner of the pool and claimed their own lanes, unconsciously engaging in a contest with Shimizu Akira.
Among the onlookers, some whistled while others clapped and cheered; the originally quiet swimming class had instantly turned into a miniature arena.
Several boys were pushing and shoving each other, seemingly eager to join the impromptu race. After a heated discussion, everyone's eyes eventually fell on Hirata Yousuke and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.
"It's decided, you two are up!" one boy declared.
"True, looking at their builds, Hirata and Ayanokouji-kun are the most suitable," the girls whispered among themselves.
Hirata Yousuke offered a gentle smile. "Since everyone has said so..."
Beside him, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka remained expressionless as usual, offering only a slight nod of agreement.
"See, the other competitive boys can't hold back anymore," Kushida said while observing. "Shimizu-kun's physical talent is truly amazing; it's quite enviable. He seems like the type of genius who would take first place in any sports competition he enters."
Because of her experiences in middle school, she had long since understood that her greatest advantage was neither physical strength nor superior intellect. Consequently, when seeing students with natural gifts, feelings of envy and jealousy would instinctively surge within her.
"What are you doing at 5:30 every morning? Do you have a regular exercise habit?" Horikita Suzune suddenly asked.
"At that time..." Kushida blinked in confusion. "I should still be sleeping. Though on holidays~ I make sure to run five kilometers."
Horikita's gaze moved past her, landing on the vigorous figure in the pool. "That man has gotten up at 5:30 every single day since the second day of school to train. At 7:00 sharp, he appears on the track to run laps. He said he has maintained this for eight years."
"How many days have you maintained it? You've only..." Horikita suddenly turned to Kushida, her eyes as sharp as ice blades.
"Run a bit occasionally. What right do you have to speculate on another's talent? At your current level, you don't even meet the threshold to discuss physical talent."
Kushida's sweet smile froze instantly, and her voice trembled unnaturally. "This..."
"I-I'm sorry!" she stammered, quickly lowering her head.
"I... I was just speaking casually. I absolutely didn't mean to belittle Shimizu-kun's hard work!"
Horikita didn't even bother to lift her eyelids. She simply turned and stepped half a pace away, building an invisible wall with her silence.
"Horikita-san..." Kushida forced a smile, her voice sounding like a tightened harp string. "Could you tell me... why you are consistently unwilling to accept my friendship?"
The air solidified for a few seconds.
"...I understand." Kushida's smile completely froze on her face, a hint of darkness flashing in her eyes.
"Even an explanation is considered redundant, I see. Then I won't make a fool of myself. I'm sorry to have bothered you, Horikita-san. I will give Shimizu-kun a formal apology later."
'This arrogant bitch! How many times have I humored her and taken the initiative to talk?
Die, die, die! Why doesn't Horikita Suzune just get struck by lightning!
Just because I let one honest thought slip, this bitch takes the opportunity to humiliate me!
I've been losing in sports to those muscle-brained women since middle school; why should I waste time on my weaknesses? Does she have cement in her brain! It's a miracle I wasn't in the same class as her in middle school... otherwise, I would have suffered.
Wait... could this woman have a crush on Shimizu Akira? She's defending him so much she even knows his morning run schedule by heart!
Disgusting stalker! Who would like a heavy girl like you!'
Maintaining an impeccable smile, she turned around, her gaze relocking onto the figure cutting through the waves in the pool.
That Shimizu Akira too... he was definitely playing dumb during the selection last time, right? Choosing Koenji!
You're telling me those muscles were built up? Eight years? Who are you kidding!
But... seeing him give up his seat for that old lady, he does seem genuinely stupid.
Simple-minded 'good guys' like him... are the easiest to manipulate.
Now that the Horikita route is blocked, I can only get info about "that matter" from him...
That Hirata too! So popular in the class! It's enough to have just one core figure like me!
Argh... so annoying! Why is nothing going my way!
I'll have to have a good "venting" session tonight.'
At that moment, Kushida Kikyo lightly pressed her fingertip to her chin, the gloom in her eyes vanishing without a trace. She suddenly broke into a smile as bright as a spring day, cupping her hands around her mouth toward the pool.
"Shimizu-kun—keep it up!"
Chapter 035 Making Kushida Kikyo's Smile Reach Her Ears
During a break in his breathing rhythm, Shimizu Akira suddenly noticed that four competitors had somehow appeared in the pool alongside him.
'All five lanes are occupied?'
The rising cheers echoing in his ears caught him by surprise—especially since his own name was mixed into the shouts.
'Strange... I haven't exactly done anything special for the class.'
Though puzzled, being cheered on by a crowd did feel pretty good. By the tenth lap, he scanned his surroundings during a flip turn and found that only Koenji Rokusuke was still keeping pace. Sudo Ken and Hirata Yousuke had already dropped out, and even the enigmatic Ayanokouji Kiyotaka had vanished.
'Sudo and Hirata likely gave it their all... but Ayanokouji definitely held back.'
Shimizu recalled Ayanokouji's lean muscles, which were severely mismatched with his claimed average abilities; the way those muscles moved underwater clearly contained a powerful explosiveness. That kind of physique, formed through long-term training, wasn't something you got from just "swimming around."
"Alright, that's enough!" The PE teacher, who had arrived at some point, blew his whistle to interrupt the impromptu race. "You two are both winners!"
The teacher looked at his stopwatch, forced to admit that the performance of these two students far exceeded expectations. To avoid disrupting the actual lesson for the rest of the class, he decisively ended the increasingly intense contest. As a reward, the teacher transferred 5,000 personal points to each of them before enthusiastically extending an invitation: "Would you consider joining the swimming club? With your strength, you'd definitely be mainstays of the varsity team."
Shimizu wiped the water from his face and shook his head politely.
"Sorry, teacher, I've already joined the boxing club."
"Hmph~" Koenji Rokusuke elegantly flicked his wet blonde hair, flashing his signature arrogant smile. "A club activity of this level isn't enough to pique my interest~"
Shimizu sat on the edge of the pool to rest. Not far away, Karuizawa Kei was surrounded by her clique of gyarus, letting out occasional bell-like laughter. Since joining the boxing club during lunch, she seemed to have radiated a new energy—her laughter was louder, and the deliberate "gyaru vibe" in her gestures felt much more natural than before.
Shimizu thoughtfully retracted his gaze.
'Now that she has a protector, is she slowly starting to let go?'
To his surprise, however, Kushida Kikyo walked straight toward him. The girl approached with light steps, her voice crisp and pleasant: "Shimizu-kun, that was amazing! You got first place!"
"Not first," he corrected calmly, "there was also Koenji-kun."
"Oh, my," Kushida clasped her hands together and tilted her head with a playful expression. "A tie for first is still first! In the eyes of our classmates, you are the undisputed number one!"
Shimizu knew exactly why she was so fixated on the "Number One" title. It was nothing more than her belief that standing in the spotlight was the only way to garner more attention.
"Shimizu-kun," Kushida suddenly shifted the topic, leaning forward slightly with her hands behind her back.
"Are you and Horikita-san... dating?" She blinked her seemingly innocent large eyes, her tone as light as if discussing the weather.
"No," he replied concisely.
"Is that so? Really?!" Kushida let out a sigh of relief instinctively, then, as if realizing something, she quickly masked it with a smile.
"Ah, I was just a bit curious..."
Shimizu watched her in silence. This girl really had a set of skills—perfect body language and that "hesitant to speak" look. Any other red-blooded high school boy would have probably misunderstood and thought she had feelings for him.
"Oh, right!" An apologetic look surfaced on Kushida's face. "I must offer a sincere apology to you, Shimizu-kun!
While I was chatting with Horikita-san just now..." her voice trailed off, her fingers nervously interlacing. "I accidentally said the wrong thing. I said your strong physique was due to talent... I just glossed over all the hard work you put into training every day..."
By the end, her tone was heavy with self-reproach. When she looked up to peek at Shimizu's reaction, her eyelashes fluttered like a small animal that had done something wrong.
Anyone seeing this would feel pity and find it impossible to scold her.
Shimizu felt nothing inwardly; in fact, he found it somewhat comical. This wasn't a "slip of the tongue"—it was an accidental reveal of her true thoughts.
However, after a moment of silence, Shimizu spoke with a subtle sense of irony.
"It was just simple luck! Yeah, my 'talent' is pretty good."
What else could he say? He couldn't exactly tell her he was "adding points to a system UI," could he?
"..."
Kushida Kikyo's eyes widened slightly. Due to her sensitive nature since childhood, she was used to observing the acceptance speeches of "Number Ones" on award podiums.
Most people would emotionally recount how they "worked desperately" or "overcame hardships," as if their value wasn't proven unless they mentioned sweat and tears.
But this boy in front of her... actually attributed his achievements to "talent" so calmly? This was the first time in over a decade she had heard someone admit, in such a matter-of-fact tone, that they were simply "blessed by heaven."
However, rather than just appreciating his honesty, a more precise judgment was taking shape in her mind.
'This Shimizu-kun... as I suspected, he really is quite simple-minded.'
Just as she was about to speak, he broke the silence first.
"Kushida-san... you've been working hard."
"...Eh?" Kushida was momentarily stunned, followed by a confused smile.
"Why would you suddenly say that, Shimizu-kun?"
"Your skin tone is a bit darker than before," he pointed seriously to his own arm for reference. "You must have specifically gone to a pool to practice swimming last weekend, right?"
"Eh? You... you noticed?" Kushida was genuinely taken aback. Her long eyelashes fluttered, and a natural look of surprise appeared on her face.
She truly hadn't expected it—despite being at the poolside, a detail that none of the other students noticed had been sharply captured by this man.
"See, everyone else's skin tone is quite normal. In the whole class, only you did swimming practice in advance," he continued.
"Ah... don't say it. It's actually just because I'm not very good at swimming." Kushida lowered her head bashfully, but a subtle, imperceptible curve rose at the corners of her mouth.
Chapter 036 He/She Is So Simple-Minded
'Keep talking... how could those mediocre fools ever compare to my dedication?'
As early as last week, Kushida Kikyo had used her meticulously woven social network to scout out the swimming lesson schedules of other classes. When she learned that the PE teacher would organize freestyle races during class, she immediately realized—this was a golden opportunity.
So, throughout the entire weekend, while other students were perhaps leisurely enjoying their vacation, she soaked herself in the pool alone, repeatedly practicing every detail of her strokes, breathing, and turns. Her arms ached from the continuous training, but she merely flicked the water droplets away and dove back in once more.
'It has to be perfect...'
And now, having this hidden effort pointed out, a strange sense of satisfaction welled up in her heart.
It was as if an audience member had finally seen through the behind-the-scenes work of a carefully staged play; that mix of shame from being seen through and secret pleasure made her heart rate quicken slightly.
The dark thoughts from a moment ago quietly faded, replaced by a subtle sense of gratification.
ìHeh... Shimizu-kun is quite the smooth talker today. I'll curse you a few times less tonight. As for that bitch... she won't be so lucky.ì
Suddenly, the PE teacher's booming voice rang out by the poolside: "Girls' group, get ready! The 50-meter freestyle race is about to begin. First place receives five thousand personal points!"
A few minutes later.
Kushida Kikyo stood at the edge of the swimming pool, her eyes tracing the lane dividers inconspicuously.
'Swimming might not be my forte... but these past two days weren't for nothing.
Originally, I just wanted to fish for some intel about Horikita Suzune from Shimizu Akira... I didn't expect to chat for so long. Talking to him is actually quite relaxing.
But... since Shimizu-kun is so simple-minded...'
She narrowed her eyes slightly, a faint smile appearing on her lips.
'Those matters... can wait until next time.'
-
-
-
'Kushida really is simple-minded.'
With just a few well-placed compliments, Kushida Kikyo had clearly let her guard down—she had even unconsciously entered a state of self-intoxication.
Although Shimizu wasn't sure what she originally intended to get out of him, her rhythm had obviously been disrupted.
'Praising people requires technique...'
The key lies in finding the point the other person cares about most.
For someone like Kushida Kikyo, the word "effort" seemed to carry a magical quality. Especially when Shimizu Akira precisely pointed out the fact that she had been secretly practicing over the weekend; that complex pleasure of being seen through yet recognized was more effective than any flattery.
As for the claim that "you were the only one in class who practiced swimming in advance," it was a complete and utter lie.
After all, he was neither a skin-tone expert nor a psychic; how could he possibly see a change in the entire class's complexion at a glance? The truth was simple—he simply knew beforehand that Kushida Kikyo had gone to the pool over the weekend, thanks to a piece of intelligence refreshed last Saturday.
But then again, such white lies were harmless. It was like when a waiter calls you "handsome" at a restaurant; even though you know it's a social nicety, it still makes you feel good.
In the end, Horikita Suzune and Onodera tied for first place with an impressive time of 26 seconds. Kushida Kikyo took third place with a time of 31 seconds.
As the swimming lesson drew to a close, Shimizu noticed Kushida frequently casting meaningful glances at Horikita Suzune.
Those eyes that were always curved into crescents were now dark and unreadable; though her lips were turned up, there was an indescribable sense of dissonance.
'Is she that bothered by the ranking?'
Shimizu thought to himself.
'It looks like the railing is going to suffer again tonight.'
.
.
.
Advanced Nurturing High School was no different from the vast majority of ordinary Japanese high schools. The curriculum followed tradition, consisting of core subjects such as National Language (Japanese), Mathematics, English, Social Studies, and Natural Sciences, with each subject graded on a 100-point scale.
After a week-long adjustment period, Shimizu Akira had completely mastered the pace of the Math and English courses, finding them effortless. He could easily keep up with the teaching rhythm without even trying to pay attention.
This was thanks to the solid foundation he had built during his education in his past life.
As long as one could firmly master the three core subjects—National Language, Mathematics, and English—it was enough to maintain a top-middle ranking in class. These three subjects were like the "Golden Triangle" of education, jointly testing a student's most basic and important abilities: Mathematics honed logical thinking, English tested memory and linguistic talent, and National Language simultaneously cultivated emotional perception and writing skills.
For Shimizu Akira, however, the National Language class had become an insurmountable hurdle. Even after a week, those obscure and difficult classical grammar terms—izenn-kei (perfective form) and mizenn-kei (irrealis form)—remained tangled in his thoughts like a mess of hemp.
He had to admit that he was probably a disgrace to the community of transmigrators.
After all, in his previous life, he hadn't even touched the surface of Japanese grammar; now, trying to force-feed himself this knowledge was like asking a modern person to suddenly decipher oracle bone script—no matter how hard he tried, he was bound to be lost in a fog.
Chapter 037 Dressed Like This! My Kid Will Spend All Class Just Staring at the Teacher!
Failing even a single subject in the midterm or final exams results in expulsion. This is one of the crucial hidden rules at Advanced Nurturing High School.
Before the senpai student from Class D left, she had specifically warned him: "It's fine if you lose to other classes, and it's fine if you survive on the free meal sets every month, but whatever you do, don't get expelled for bad grades—that would be too pathetic."
Shimizu Akira, of course, had no desire to leave in such an embarrassing fashion. But this school was clearly not ordinary—what kind of high school forcibly expels a student for failing just one subject?
The only silver lining was that the midterm exams were still more than a month away. Starting from scratch to cram for Japanese and at least scraping past the passing line should still be possible.
However, three mountains stood in his way: Modern Japanese, Classical Japanese, and Classical Chinese.
He could manage Modern Japanese somehow, but Classical Japanese was like a book written in a foreign language. Even though it was full of familiar Kanji, the combinations were obscure and difficult to decipher.
What was more troublesome was that a single Kanji in Classical Japanese could have over a dozen different readings, and its meaning could be completely altered by the attachment of grammatical particles. It was like facing encrypted text where the key was hidden deep within time.
"My head hurts..."
After the afternoon National Language class ended, Shimizu Akira massaged his temples as usual, his fingertips pressing against his throbbing nerves.
Japanese wasn't like Math or English—at least on the surface, it didn't seem so "unapproachable." Even an elementary school student could listen in and vaguely understand parts of it. But once he delved deep into the usage of each Kanji and the rules of phonetic changes in ancient language, his brain immediately felt as if it had been filled with lead, sinking heavily into a fog.
'They're all Kanji... why do they look like a secret code when put together?'
While he was lost in thought, a weak voice suddenly drifted into his ear—
"Um... That... Shimizu-kun, yesterday... thank you for speaking up for me..."
He turned his head and found his desk mate to his right, Sakura Airi, looking down and unconsciously twisting the hem of her skirt with her fingers. Her voice was as light as a
feather; if his hearing hadn't been so sharp, he might have mistaken it for a stray breeze passing outside the window.
"Don't worry about it! I was just in a bad mood that day, and besides, that guy is a troublesome fellow who skips class all the time."
Shimizu Akira waved his hand, his tone somewhat casual. This wasn't entirely a polite excuse—it was true that his mood had been poor, and it was also true that he found Yamauchi Haruki annoying.
'After all, that guy is responsible for at least half of the 'achievement' of Class D's zeros; Ike Kanji and several other boys were also led astray by him...'
"..."
Sakura Airi remained silent for a long time. Her gaze quietly swept over the almost brand-new National Language textbook on Shimizu Akira's desk—the spine was stiff, the edges of the pages were pristine white, and there were pathetically few creases; it clearly hadn't been flipped through much.
'As I thought... he's struggling with Japanese...'
She parted her lips slightly as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she just lightly bit her lower lip and swallowed the words back down.
"Oh, right!" Shimizu Akira lowered his voice with a serious expression, "Just to be absolutely sure—you really didn't confess to Yamauchi Haruki, right?"
"...I didn't!"
This time, Sakura Airi's voice rose significantly, causing several students in the front row to turn around in curiosity. She hurriedly covered her mouth, the tips of her ears instantly turning red enough to bleed.
Sakura Airi's gaze lingered on Shimizu Akira's face for a brief moment before she quickly ducked her head like a startled small animal.
Shimizu Akira raised an eyebrow, his gaze staying on the reddened tips of her ears for a moment.
'Seems like that really wasn't the case...
Then again, she really is the type who is terrible at talking to people.'
.
.
.
After school, Shimizu Akira finished his meal and went straight to find Horikita Suzune.
He had originally thought she might still be angry about him mentioning her brother during PE class and might refuse to go to Chabashira Sae's office together. To his surprise, although the girl kept a cold, frozen expression, she still followed him silently.
When Shimizu Akira pushed open the office door, the expected Chabashira Sae was not there. Instead, there was a young woman dressed in a pale pink silk shirt, leaning casually against a desk. The hem of her shirt was loosely tucked into high-waisted shorts, outlining a slender waistline.
The most eye-catching feature was undoubtedly her long legs—which looked even straighter and more symmetrical against the shorts. Her style of dress was far too casual, a far cry from the conventional image of a teacher—yet here she was, sitting squarely in a chair reserved for faculty.
Normally, the standard attire for a female teacher should be a well-tailored suit skirt paired with dignified black stockings, just like Chabashira-sensei Sae's rigorous and orderly appearance.
But the one in front of them...
She was practically a textbook example of what you'd see in a parental complaint letter—"How can you dress like this! My child spends all class staring at the teacher, and it's all your fault their grades are dropping!" The kind of "problem teacher" that would spark a joint protest from students' mothers.
However, in the completely enclosed management of Advanced Nurturing High School, it was almost impossible for parents to visit the school for observation like in ordinary schools—after all, whether a regular parent-teacher meeting system even existed was a mystery.
Just as Shimizu Akira was lost in thought, the female teacher keenly sensed the movement at the door. She tilted her head slightly, a lazy smile spreading across her lips: "Oh? Two cute students, which teacher are you looking for?"
"Chabashira-sensei," Horikita Suzune stated stiffly, her tone clearly suppressing dissatisfaction.
"Eh? Looking for Sae-chan—" The female teacher tapped her chin with her fingertip; this overly intimate nickname made Shimizu Akira instantly realize the two were close, "She was in the office just a moment ago~"
Seeing her gesture to invite them in to wait, Horikita Suzune immediately declined coldly: "No need."
Surprisingly, the young teacher took the initiative to walk out into the hallway. She pointed her right index finger casually at her own face, "To introduce myself formally, I am Hoshinomiya Chie, the homeroom teacher of Class B. Sae-chan and I have been inseparable best friends since high school! Even now, we still call each other ' Sae-chan' and 'Chie-chan'~"
Then, the teacher named Hoshinomiya Chie leaned in close to Horikita Suzune as if she had discovered a new continent, "Your aura is so much like Sae-chan's. But why did she specifically call you two over? How suspicious."
She blinked her curious eyes, her index finger lightly touching her lips, "Could it be... you got into trouble?"
Seeing Horikita Suzune remain silent, she suddenly clasped her hands together and showed a sly smile: "Don't tell me—is it a romance consultation?"
Horikita Suzune's brow twitched imperceptibly.
Chapter 038 Physical Needs Truly Meant What He Thought They Meant
Hoshinomiya Chie.
On the surface, she appeared to be a vibrant, approachable young teacher who loved mingling with her students. However, a confusing piece of intelligence acquired on the first day of school involuntarily surfaced in Shimizu Akira's mind:
[Intelligence 3: To resolve physical needs, please knock thrice on Hoshinomiya Chie's door at exactly 2:00 AM.]
'Wait! That mysterious "open-minded" person is actually the teacher standing in front of me?! Even though she's a teacher?
Could it be... I misunderstood? Maybe the so-called "physical needs" don't refer to that kind of thing...'
The concept of "physical needs" is far broader than one might imagine—besides sex, it includes air, water, food, sleep, and other basic requirements for sustaining life.
However, Hoshinomiya Chie keenly sensed that her conversation with Horikita Suzune was hitting a wall, so her gaze naturally shifted to the consistently silent Shimizu Akira.
"My, my! Isn't this Shimizu-kun?!" She suddenly leaned in close. "You're even more handsome in person than in your photo!"
Shimizu Akira asked politely, "Does Hoshinomiya-sensei know me?"
"Of course~" She raised her index finger and gave it a playful wag. "The girls have a secret 'First-Year Heartthrob Ranking,' you know. Shimizu-kun is right at the top!"
"Girls actually make rankings like that?..." Shimizu instinctively looked toward Horikita Suzune, who immediately cut him off with a cold voice.
"Don't look at me. I didn't vote." Horikita's tone remained frigid, but there was no surprise on her face; she was clearly already aware of the existence of such a list.
"Shimizu-kun~" Hoshinomiya Chie suddenly leaned even closer, her eyes sparkling with the light of gossip. "A handsome boy like you must have a girlfriend by now, right? You must have received quite a few confessions from girls?"
Shimizu Akira shifted his body slightly, quietly widening the distance between them. "I don't have a girlfriend yet."
"Eh~" Hoshinomiya drew out the sound meaningfully, tapping her chin. "You only denied the 'girlfriend' part... which means you have been confessed to, then?"
"...I have been." Shimizu paused for a moment before adding, "But I rejected them."
The scene of Karuizawa Kei's confession flashed through his mind; that should count as one.
"Oh my~" Hoshinomiya Chie dragged out her words, her mischievous gaze darting between the two of them. "Shimizu-kun, could it be that you..."
"...We are not in that kind of relationship." Horikita Suzune interrupted as a reflex, only to realize her gaffe the moment the words left her mouth.
"—...like my precious Ichinose?" Hoshinomiya finished the second half of her sentence with a beaming smile, her eyes fixed on Horikita's face.
"Student, I was talking about our Class B representative, Ichinose. After all, Shimizu-kun spoke to her last week. Don't be so impatient."
Horikita Suzune's expression froze instantly. She realized then that she had fallen completely into a verbal trap.
Hoshinomiya-sensei had been staring at her while deliberately speaking another girl's name.
'That name... I seem to have seen it somewhere?'
Horikita suddenly remembered the contact list on Shimizu's phone he had shown her last week—among those dense lines of text, the name "Ichinose" had indeed appeared. Her full name was likely Ichinose Honami.
'She did it on purpose. Absolutely on purpose.'
Horikita's gaze gradually turned icy. Her earlier act of deliberately ignoring the teacher had clearly invited this meticulously designed counterattack.
'The teachers at this school are becoming more disqualified by the minute!!'
Horikita reached a cold verdict in her heart.
First, there was her own homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae—the woman who always left on the dot in her high heels.
Since school started, she hadn't just neglected class meetings; she had been perfunctory about basic class affairs.
Other classes had long since elected representatives, yet Class D remained leaderless, like an abandoned flock of sheep.
And then there was the person in front of her...
Hoshinomiya Chie was tilting her head and playing with the curled ends of her hair.
Combined with her long legs under an ultra-short skirt, she looked exactly like a gyaru from the streets of Shibuya.
More absurdly, she was openly prying into a male student's romantic life at the door of the faculty office and even showing petty vindictiveness over a prior slight.
Horikita took a cold step back. "The hiring standards for teachers at this school are truly questionable. Your flighty attire alone is completely inconsistent with professional teaching standards."
"Waa~ A mini 'Sae-chan,' how scary, how scary.~" Hoshinomiya Chie clutched her chest in an exaggerated manner, yet she smiled even more radiantly.
She suddenly stood on her tiptoes and pointed to the surveillance camera in the hallway.
"But you see, publicly questioning the school and faculty under a camera will cost you quite a few points~ It looks like Sae-chan's plan is going to fail again. I'm afraid she's going to hit me again!..." Saying this, her expression suddenly flipped as the corners of her mouth slumped, and she looked at Shimizu Akira with a pitiful expression.
"Shimizu-kun must testify for me! She's clearly the one who started it."
"Right! Since Shimizu-kun even gave me beer to drink, you'll protect your sensei, right? Don't worry! As long as you protect me, I'll give you a full 'reward.'" Hoshinomiya Chie reached out coquettishly, but Shimizu Akira took an agile step back to avoid her.
He never expected that his first "backstep" after learning boxing would be used against the seemingly fragile Hoshinomiya Chie.
'So that's how it is...'
He finally pieced together the cause and effect—those cans of beer given as a thank-you gift had been passed on by Ichinose Honami to her homeroom teacher. And this teacher in front of him had naturally taken the student's gesture as an attempt to curry favor with her.
So, she was also a drunkard?
'The so-called "reward"... surely it doesn't mean what I think it means?'
This ambiguous word began to ferment in his mind, causing his previously firm judgment to waver—perhaps that "physical need" really did mean what he had initially understood.
Our Advanced Nurturing High School is visibly "improving." Strict with students, yet exceptionally lax with teachers.
'Wait... she's actually the Class B advisor!'
Shimizu Akira suddenly realized something, his eyes flickering. Hoshinomiya's seemingly flighty behavior—deliberately provoking Horikita with a frivolous tone and starting a dispute in a spot where the cameras could clearly capture it—were likely all carefully designed traps.
Horikita Suzune had, as expected, naturally lost her composure, which had already cost her class a portion of points.
From the perspective of another class, this behavior of tripping up a competitor was indeed unbecoming of a teacher. But from the perspective of Class B students, having an advisor who looks out for the class's interests everywhere would actually be a blessing, wouldn't it?
However, overall, his impression of this female teacher wasn't great. No matter how you look at it, a teacher indirectly targeting students is problematic.
Chapter 039 Hoshinomiya Chie: A Shark Seems to Have Slipped Into Class D
Horikita Suzune watched her with icy eyes. Every word from this Class B advisor felt like a meticulously prepared chemical agent, slowly corroding her patience. Behind those seemingly casual teases lay a clearly defined purpose—to provoke her, and then... deduct the so-called "points"?
So, what exactly did "deducting points" mean? There was no such clause in the student handbook—was this another hidden rule set by the school? Various possibilities raced through her mind. Did an invisible merit system exist in this school? As long as a student violated a specific school rule, would the corresponding points be deducted?
Because she had purchased intelligence from Shimizu Akira, she had already paid 80,000 personal points. These days, her account balance was less than 10,000; if it all vanished, she would be forced to collect free ingredients from the supermarket and make her own bento.
Dealing with people was never her forte, let alone facing an opponent who seamlessly blended teacher authority with social expertise. In a pure battle of wits, she was confident she wouldn't lose. But against someone like Hoshinomiya Chie—a social master who held the advantage of being a teacher—even she felt somewhat helpless.
However, Hoshinomiya Chie's attention had already shifted away from Horikita. After all, Class D's class points had already been partially docked; this cold honor student no longer held any value to her.
'Hehe... just thinking about how angry and annoyed Sae-chan will be makes me so happy.'
At this moment, her interest lay more with Shimizu Akira, who was standing to the side.
"Shimizu-kun~" She playfully twirled a strand of hair, a dangerous light of curiosity flashing in her eyes. "I heard you took our Ichinose to meet some second-year seniors? Come on, be honest with big sister, what did you go and ask them?"
Shimizu Akira inconspicuously took another half-step back until his back was almost touching the hallway wall.
He truly couldn't fathom it—why was this Class B advisor pursuing him so relentlessly? She likely didn't know that Class D's score was probably already zero! There were simply no points left to deduct!
Could it be... she had realized that Shimizu Akira knew about the S-System intelligence? Was she trying to suppress a potential threat to other classes to maintain Class B's advantage? But on second thought, it seemed absurd. Their Class D was bottom-of-the-barrel; Class B's true competitor should be Class A. Furthermore—
'Didn't she keep saying she and Sae-chan were best friends?'
Is this what a "best friend" is? Plotting against her own friend's students for the sake of class interests? Shimizu couldn't help but wonder if all the homeroom teachers of other classes
operated this way. Facing Hoshinomiya Chie, the natural pressure of her status as a teacher truly made him feel like he was sitting on needles. After all, one slip-up could get him labeled as "disrespectful to teachers."
"Hoshinomiya-sensei! What are you doing?"
A clear voice suddenly broke the stalemate. At the end of the hallway, Ichinose Honami was looking over with a helpless hand to her forehead. Ichinose walked over quickly to Hoshinomiya Chie's side. "Please don't trouble students from other classes. Can't you see that Shimizu-kun and the others are distressed?"
"Oh my~ If it isn't my dear Class Rep Ichinose~" Hoshinomiya Chie blinked with feigned surprise and finally stepped back two paces, albeit reluctantly.
"Hoshinomiya! Stop harassing my students!"
Accompanied by hurried footsteps, Chabashira Sae finally appeared at the end of the hallway. She was breathing slightly heavily, her sharp gaze piercing straight through Hoshinomiya Chie. Without a word, she raised her hand and gave the other woman a sharp chop to the top of the head.
"Who gave you permission to move against Shimizu Akira?" Chabashira's voice carried a rare hint of fury.
"Ouch~" Hoshinomiya Chie rubbed her head piteously. "He came looking for Sae-chan on his own. I was just helping out with the hosting while you were away~"
Chabashira Sae snorted coldly. "It would have been better to just leave them alone."
She turned to Shimizu Akira and Horikita Suzune, her tone softening slightly. "Sorry to keep you waiting. It's not convenient to talk here. You two, follow me to the counseling room."
"Let me come too~ I'll just sit in for a tiny bit~" Hoshinomiya Chie approached like a clingy cat, her eyes gleaming with gossip.
"No!" Ichinose Honami was quick and grabbed her wrist. "Hoshinomiya-sensei, our class still has important matters to discuss!"
Chabashira Sae delivered the final blow: "If you dare follow us, I don't mind making it so you can only spend your weekend lying in bed recovering from injuries." She added expressionlessly, "It'll save you from going out and causing trouble everywhere over the weekend anyway."
"Waa~ You two are so mean!" Hoshinomiya Chie's shoulders slumped exaggeratedly, looking like a puppy caught in the rain. "One is my bestest girlfriend, and the other is my most trusted class rep... How could I possibly dare to disobey~"
As the figures of Shimizu and the others completely vanished at the end of the hallway, the bright smile on Hoshinomiya Chie's face receded like a tide.
"Sae-chan..." she murmured softly. "You aren't really planning to stage an 'uprising' from the bottom, are you? If it's that... I'll be the first to say no."
"Hoshinomiya-sensei?" Ichinose Honami tilted her head in confusion. "What did you just say?"
"Ah la~" Hoshinomiya instantly regained her usual lighthearted expression. "Just talking bad about Sae-chan~"
"But aren't you best friends?"
"Exactly because we are best friends... when we tear into each other... it's even scarier."
"Sensei saying mysterious things again..."
"Hehe~ This kind of thing is still too early for you, Ichinose! By the way, how was our class last week?"
Ichinose's expression immediately dimmed. "It wasn't ideal... several students with lower grades saw that the teachers weren't really enforcing classroom discipline, so they've frequently been playing on their phones or skipping class lately..."
She twisted her fingers in distress. "As the class rep, I don't want to be too harsh with them, so I can only... let it slide for now."
Hoshinomiya Chie sighed. "My dear class rep... you spent four whole lunch breaks with those senpai last week. Did you really not sense anything?"
Ichinose blinked in confusion. "It was just making friends normally..."
Hoshinomiya Chie felt caught between laughter and tears.
'Even Ichinose, with an A in academic ability, didn't find the clues... Why did that Class D student...'
Suddenly, her eyes widened as if she had caught a key piece of evidence.
'Wait... that girl was easily provoked by me into violating a rule, but when she heard the word 'points,' she looked at me with a very puzzled gaze... That's not right!
Either he didn't get any intel from the upperclassmen at all, or... he chose to hide that hidden information from his classmates.'
"Ichinose!" Hoshinomiya Chie turned suddenly, placing her hands on her student's shoulders. "What was the name of the senpaiShimizu asked you to contact? And why did you suddenly show up here?"
"It was a second-year senpai named Yamamura XX... And about being here, actually, Shimizu-kun asked me to come over to help him out of a jam!"
Hearing this, Hoshinomiya Chie narrowed her eyes instinctively.
'He deliberately called my Ichinose over.
It seems I really need to go meet this Student Yamamura personally...
It looks like a shark that shouldn't be swimming in the shallows has slipped into Class D...
I hope my intuition... is wrong this time too.'
Chapter 040 Asking Me to Be Class Rep? And Buying Info with 1 Million in Class Funds?
The Counseling Room.
Shimizu Akira looked at Chabashira Sae's slightly heaving shoulders and suddenly realized he might have misjudged this homeroom teacher. He glanced down at his phone—it had been a mere three minutes and thirty seconds since he sent the help message stating
"Hoshinomiya-sensei is targeting Class D."
Standing before him now, Chabashira-sensei's hair was slightly disheveled, her uniform collar was askew from running so hard, and her breathing was still ragged. Setting aside previous events, at least this time, Chabashira-sensei had stepped up to protect the interests of the class and her students.
"Chabashira-sensei, thanks to you, we got out of that jam just in time."
Those words acted like a sudden spell, causing Chabashira Sae to freeze in place. Ever since she chose the "hands-off" approach to being a homeroom teacher, it had been far, far too long since she had heard such gratitude.
'No... it's more like, it's already good enough if the students don't look at her with cold eyes.'
Chabashira Sae cleared her throat, quickly regaining her composure from her momentary lapse.
"Shimizu-kun, let me ask you—" Her voice carried a hint of hesitation. "I just heard Hoshinomiya say you looked for a second-year senpai. Given your personality, it's unlikely you'd do something useless. It's not just about the class placements and points. Do you... already know the other pieces of information the school is deliberately hiding?"
Shimizu Akira admitted it directly without a second thought. "...Yes."
Since she had already spoken to this extent, there was no point in lying.
"Shimizu-kun, you are likely the first person in Class D to discover those hidden rules. Therefore..." She straightened her posture.
"I am considering appointing you as the Class Representative. What are your thoughts?"
"With all due respect, I decline." Shimizu Akira's answer was crisp and clear, without a shred of hesitation.
Chabashira Sae raised an eyebrow. "Reason?"
"Because—" His voice was calm. "I don't want to be a battery."
In the first month of school, Class D's points ended in a disastrous "zero"—the gap between them and the other classes was like a vast chasm. Shimizu Akira calculated privately that if he took over this hot potato of a position, he'd likely be dragged to death by this group of "un-proppable" classmates.
"So... that's why you chose to hide the information from the whole class?" Chabashira Sae looked at him pensively. Suddenly, she shifted gears.
"What if... I made it a condition of your expulsion to force you to lead Class D?"
"..." Shimizu's gaze swept sharply across his homeroom teacher. "I'm afraid that doesn't align with the rules of this school, does it? After all, the Principal's goal is to cultivate students with 'talent.'"
As he spoke, he inconspicuously pushed Horikita Suzune forward half a step.
"Furthermore, this is the younger sister of Horikita-senpai. Do I need to contact the Student Council President right now to report this... somewhat foolish threat of yours?"
He had heard rumors about the Student Council these past few days; the President's power was said to be even greater than that of the teachers.
Horikita Suzune was momentarily stunned, then shot Shimizu a cold, daggery glare—this guy actually dared to use her as a shield without permission. However, she still lifted her chin and spoke with a detached tone. "...Chabashira-sensei, with your seniority, surely you wouldn't make such a foolish decision."
"The Student Council President... is he your brother?" Chabashira Sae's gaze drifted between the two, and realization dawned. "I see... the surname Horikita is indeed rare.
I wasn't actually planning to threaten you." Her tone softened slightly. In truth, the thought had crossed her mind—but then she realized that in this day and age, a high schooler transferring was hardly a death sentence.
Furthermore...
She quietly observed Shimizu Akira's reaction. This was nothing more than a carefully designed test, much like a chemistry teacher using a reagent to detect a student's ability to react on the spot. In the end, his reaction was exactly what she had expected.
Chabashira Sae tapped her fingertip on the desk. "What if I said... I want to buy the class intelligence from you for 1 million points, on the condition that you share this information with your classmates—how would you feel about that?"
Shimizu was stunned. The proposal itself was shocking enough, but the person making it was even more surprising. This habitually "laying flat" teacher was now taking the initiative to intervene in the class information war? This was a complete departure from her "hands-off" persona.
"Sensei is... suddenly interested in class competition?" Shimizu narrowed his eyes slightly. "Willing to spend 1 million points?"
"Don't look at me like that," Chabashira Sae replied coldly. "Just like you, I have no intention of being a sucker."
She pulled a document from her bag and tapped her slender finger on the paper.
"Since it's strategic intelligence for the whole class, I will hold a class meeting tomorrow. 25,000 points per person. Of course, I'll pay your 25,000 out of my own pocket. The condition is simple—" Chabashira Sae paused. "You just need to 'accidentally' leak the news to Kushida Kikyou or Hirata Yousuke, or you can come forward yourself! I only permit one of you three to be the one to disclose this information.
Well?" Chabashira Sae leaned forward slightly. "You get the reward you deserve, and your classmates bear the cost they ought to pay, and you don't even have to step out personally."
A faint, unreadable smile touched her lips. "From any angle, it's a fair trade, isn't it? If you agree right now, I will immediately transfer the 1 million points from my account to yours."
Shimizu's gaze lingered on his phone for a long time. The string of numbers on the screen shimmered with cold light—exactly 1 million points, just like that. He rubbed his chin, repeatedly calculating the gains and losses of this deal in his head.
Information bought for ten thousand points had turned into a hundredfold profit in the blink of an eye; no matter how you looked at it, it was a guaranteed win. He had been worried about whether the Class D crowd would obediently hand over their points, but he hadn't expected Chabashira Sae to pay the full amount upfront.
—In other words, she intended to personally play the "villain" to collect the 25,000-point "information fee" from everyone.
'Wait, can teachers openly collect class fees like this? What if other students report her?'
"...Deal," he finally nodded. "It is indeed a fair and reasonable transaction."
Chabashira let out a light laugh and briskly tucked the document into a drawer. "A wise choice. Then, I look forward to your good news."
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After the two finished their transaction, Chabashira Sae suddenly turned her head, as if she had only just noticed Horikita Suzune's presence.
"Almost forgot..." She tapped the desk with her fingertip and turned to the girl who had been standing silently by the side.
"Tell me, then. What is it you want to ask?"