Chapter 091 Kamuro Masumi: Betting with Me? Shimizu Akira, You're Dead!
In Class 1-A, the class meeting had just concluded.
Mashima Tomonari stood at the podium, his calm gaze sweeping over the students in the classroom before he spoke slowly:
"In summary... your Class Evaluation Points for this month are 950 points.
As for academic results, I won't dwell on them further. Overall performance has been very good; keep it up."
The classroom exuded an air of composure—after all, this was Class A, the class standing at the pinnacle of the grade. However, Mashima's next sentence caused some students to raise their heads slightly.
"Additionally, there is an undisclosed rule that I need to inform you of—if personal points reach 20 million, one can apply for a class transfer."
After a brief silence, low whispers broke out in the room.
"20 million just to transfer classes?
But we're already in Class A. This rule is meaningless for us, right?"
For most Class A students, this rule was indeed irrelevant—they were already in the highest-ranked class and had no reason to leave.
"Mashima-sensei, does this mean... Class A can also use this rule to recruit talent from other classes to increase our strength, correct?"
Everyone's gaze turned simultaneously toward the source of the voice.
—Katsuragi Kohei, one of the core figures of Class A, was looking up with a serious expression, his eyes fixed on Mashima Tomonari.
"Correct! Your thinking is sharp."
A hint of admiration appeared in Mashima's eyes. This student had not only ranked among the top in the entrance exams but, more impressively, possessed long-term strategic vision.
But what truly pleased Mashima was the angle of Katsuragi's thinking. He didn't immediately think, "What use is escaping my own class?" but rather, "How can I make Class A stronger?" This collective-interest-first mindset was the exact spiritual core that Class A needed.
Mashima's gaze inadvertently brushed past the other side of the room. There, the girl with long silver-white hair—Sakayanagi Arisu—was lazily propping up her chin, her fingertip lightly tapping her cheek, seemingly showing a subtle interest in the conversation.
'Sakayanagi Arisu... she showed incredible insight on the very first day of school, seeing right through the hidden rules.
Moreover, she is the Chairman's daughter.'
Mashima had to admit that in terms of pure intellect, Sakayanagi might be a step above Katsuragi.
However, the concept of "class" never seemed to exist in her eyes. Sakayanagi Arisu was more like a solitary chess player; to her, the class was merely a piece on the board.
Her talent was beyond doubt, yet she was a double-edged sword—capable of bringing victory to Class A at times, but also capable of leading everyone into danger on a whim. In comparison, Katsuragi Kohei's stability and sense of responsibility were particularly precious. He might not have Sakayanagi's dazzling brilliance, but he always prioritized class interests, steadily unifying the power of Class A.
Thus, Mashima Tomonari reached a direct conclusion in his heart. The true pillar of Class A was not Sakayanagi Arisu, but Katsuragi Kohei. If there ever came a day when Katsuragi was no longer in Class A and Sakayanagi held sole power, that, in a sense, would be Class A's most dangerous moment.
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During lunch break, Kamuro Masumi glanced nonchalantly at the Class Point notice board at the back of the classroom.
"Class D has 530?" She arched an eyebrow, her fingers unconsciously playing with a stray strand of hair.
"So those guys got 53,000 this month..."
She had originally planned to use the lunch break to find Shimizu Akira—to mock him a bit and give him a proper "greeting." To her surprise, Class D's performance was unexpected.
"Tch, looks like they're somewhat capable."
Although there was still a gap compared to Class A's 950 points, it at least proved those guys weren't as pathetic as she'd imagined. She pulled out her phone, her fingers tapping quickly as she sent a message to Shimizu.
[I underestimated you guys. I thought you'd get a zero.]
The moment she pressed send, her back stiffened and her right leg twitched involuntarily.
'Wait... Shimizu wouldn't think I'm coming to collect a debt, would he?'
The 10,000 points she lent him last month indeed hadn't been returned yet, but at this moment she was purely... well, perhaps carrying a small part of being happy for him. But she truly had no intention of debt collecting.
'Tch, what am I even worrying about...'
Kamuro instinctively felt for the student ID in her pocket—inside sat a personal balance of exactly 95,000 points. Adding the 7,000 or 8,000 left over from last month, she was now a "little rich girl" with over 100,000 points.
'That's over twice as much as him... I should be much richer than he is!'
Just as she was biting her lower lip in frustration, a soft voice suddenly drifted from her side—
"Kamuro-san... could I take a bit of your time?"
Kamuro turned sharply to see Sakayanagi Arisu's face, which always wore a mysterious smile. The silver-haired girl leaned on her cane, looking harmless with her head tilted slightly.
'Sakayanagi Arisu?!'
Kamuro's nerves tightened instantly. Last time, that guy Shimizu Akira had warned her with great solemnity: "With your personality, you're likely to be completely manipulated by Sakayanagi."
Even more infuriating, that guy had started a rumor saying that in the future, she would be holding an umbrella for this "sickly young lady"! What a joke! The girl wasn't a cripple with useless legs. Since she had functional limbs, why on earth should Kamuro serve her like a maid?
"I refuse," Kamuro spat out three words decisively, deliberately turning her face toward the window.
She didn't want to deal with her; if Shimizu saw this, he'd probably mock her mercilessly again. However, Sakayanagi's gaze was drifting, seemingly by chance, over Kamuro's unlocked phone screen.
Kamuro stiffened and immediately flipped her phone face down on the desk. But it was too late—that woman definitely saw it.
"...Oh? Kamuro-san, are you on good terms with Shimizu-kun from Class 1-D?" the other girl asked in that soft, airy voice.
"...None of your business!"
"Hehe... speaking of which, do you know what happened between Shimizu-kun and me on the first day of school?"
"Whatever happened between you two... has nothing to do with me!"
"We made a bet," Sakayanagi said to herself, lightly wagging her index finger.
"And the stake... was you. Specifically, a bet on whether or not you would commit an act of theft. And the result! As you can see! I lost completely!"
"What did you say?!" Kamuro Masumi froze. After hearing those words, she felt her rage surge upward; she was practically grinding her teeth.
After all that, the reason Shimizu Akira gave her those beers was because of this! It seemed a certain someone truly had a death wish tonight.
Chapter 092 Sakayanagi Arisu: Care to Bet I'll Tame Kamuro Masumi Within a Week?
Shimizu Akira was rank number one in the class for both Mathematics and English. Not a single person in the class could surpass his scores. The reason was actually quite simple—the difficulty of the test papers was far too high.
The final major problems of each subject clearly exceeded the scope of knowledge for a first-year high school student. The Mathematics paper, in particular, actually featured questions related to matrices. Honestly, how many first-year students could solve such a thing? Even as a bonus question, the difficulty coefficient was ridiculously high.
The difficulty of the final problem in every subject was staggering. Based on the level of an average first-year student, getting a perfect score was almost impossible.
(Have I walked onto the set of the Chunin Exams written test from "Naruto"?)
This was the first association that popped into Shimizu's mind. The Chunin Exams—deliberately setting questions beyond the students' level, planting perfect-score test-takers, and even allowing one to be caught cheating five times before disqualification. It made perfect sense there; they were selecting ninjas, testing information gathering, reconnaissance abilities, and ninjutsu.
But this was just an ordinary school, and he was just an ordinary student. Normal people simply couldn't get a perfect score, and there was no way to cheat. If caught cheating, nothing awaited him but a cold zero and disciplinary action. The regulations in the student handbook were written clearly, leaving no room for maneuver.
However, since the school had deliberately designed the exam this way, just like the first month, there had to be a hidden trick.
(Could it be... that this is the hidden assessment for the second month?)
Once this thought surfaced, all the anomalies found a logical explanation. The notification sound on his phone suddenly rang, interrupting Shimizu's train of thought. He set down his chopsticks and picked up his phone to find a message from Kamuro Masumi—
[I underestimated you guys. I thought you'd get a zero.]
Shimizu raised an eyebrow. It seemed Class A had already learned that Class D obtained 530 Class Points. This message... was she praising him? After a month of getting to know her, Shimizu could now automatically filter out the "tsundere" elements in her words and translate the true meaning.
For example, this sentence actually meant: "You did well to get 530 Class Points! Shimizu Akira!" —Okay, maybe she wasn't that frank, but that was the core sentiment.
However, the moment the message showed as "read," she quickly unsent it. Before Shimizu could think further, Kamuro Masumi sent another message:
"Where is your dorm room?!"
Shimizu thought for a moment and slowly typed back:
"402. Why, Kamuro-san?"
The next second, her message practically exploded with murderous intent—
"Good! I'll be coming to find you tonight at seven! Before I arrive, you'd better reflect deeply on your mistakes, or else just wait to die!"
Even through the screen, Shimizu could feel her blazing rage.
(Hmm? Did my hidden identity get exposed? But that wouldn't make her this angry...) (Or maybe... the bet I made with Sakayanagi Arisu on the first day of school was discovered?) (That's likely the only possibility.)
Shimizu couldn't help but feel a bit ashamed. Strictly speaking, he did stop Kamuro Masumi from stealing, but as the subject of the bet, she would feel offended regardless, wouldn't she? To be fair, Kamuro Masumi had been quite good to him—reminding him to save points, treating him to meals, and even lending him money.
But he quickly realized: Kamuro Masumi couldn't have learned this out of thin air. Someone must have deliberately leaked it to her.
"It must be that brat's doing!"
He thought about it and quickly sent a message to a certain someone:
"Was it you?"
The other party replied almost instantly with a question mark—
Sakayanagi Arisu: "?"
Shimizu looked at the screen, suddenly feeling a subtle sense of déjà vu.
(This scene... why does it feel so familiar?)
He suddenly remembered the last time she had caught him off guard with "Was it you?", and he had replied with a question mark back then.
(This person's level of holding a grudge is beyond expectations...)
Shimizu typed a line:
"Did you do it on purpose or by accident?"
Sakayanagi Arisu's reply was filled with obvious playfulness:
"Hehe... By accident, of course. I thought she already knew~"
Shimizu understood instantly—this was definitely a long-premeditated "accident." Then, she suddenly shifted the topic:
"By the way, I want to recruit Kamuro Masumi as an assistant. Can you help me persuade her?"
"No," Shimizu replied flatly.
He wasn't Sakayanagi's subordinate, nor did he have any obligation to cooperate with her plans. What baffled him more was where she got the confidence to think he would help. With Kamuro's stubborn personality, she was fundamentally unpersuadable. Besides, Shimizu had already warned Kamuro to be careful of Sakayanagi. It looked like the girl was about to hit another wall.
Sure enough, Sakayanagi quickly sent a new invitation:
"Want to make a bet? Bet that I can tame Kamuro Masumi within a week."
"No bet," Shimizu refused decisively. "You should save your points for your own use."
There were two reasons for this refusal: first, he didn't lack points at all; second, Kamuro was currently angry about a similar matter—as her friend, agreeing to this would be equivalent to dancing on her grave.
Sakayanagi Arisu: "95,000 points. Bet or not?!"
Shimizu was caught between laughter and tears. Had she become completely addicted to gambling or what!
Shimizu Akira: "Keep your points for yourself! I'm still eating, I'm done talking to you!"
After sending that, he ignored her subsequent protest messages and closed the chat.
(So, how am I going to appease Kamuro Masumi?)
He suddenly remembered what she had said once—Unless you perform a dogeza and let me step on your face, don't even think about me forgiving you!
Shimizu's mouth twitched. Though he had to admit, Kamuro's long, beautiful legs were indeed a sight to behold, especially when wrapped in black tights; the curves were so graceful one couldn't help but want to...
(Wait, stop right there!)
He shook his head vigorously, casting that dangerous thought out of his mind. Forget being stepped on; he didn't have that kind of "special" hobby.
Thinking it over carefully, it wasn't an impossible problem. Although Kamuro Masumi had a strong personality, she wasn't fundamentally unreasonable. Shimizu never felt that apologizing damaged any sense of male dignity—especially not to someone like Kamuro
Masumi. When a girl says something out of anger, she usually just wants to see the other person's submissive attitude.
(If I honestly admit my fault, she should forgive me... probably?) (It seems Room 402 is destined to be much livelier than usual tonight...)
Just as the thought crossed his mind, his phone vibrated again. Kamuro Masumi's latest message jumped into view:
"Wash your neck and wait for me!"
Chapter 093 Calling My Name in Public? What's the Meaning of This?
Shimizu Akira witnessed a very interesting scene while he was eating.
The first-year Class C student who had appeared in the surveillance footage previously—the one who destroyed the camera, a sturdy boy seemingly named Ishizaki Daichi—was currently leading two Class C lackeys straight toward a dining table ahead. They quickly surrounded a lone student.
"W-what do you want?" The boy who was surrounded spoke with a trembling voice, the chopsticks in his hand shaking slightly.
Ishizaki Daichi pulled his lips back into a malicious grin. "You must be a student from Class 1-B! We watched you walk right out of your classroom with our own eyes! Don't be nervous. As kind-hearted students from Class C, we just came over to admire the way you eat."
"Please leave! I can't eat properly like this!" The boy tried to straighten his back, but the cowardice in his voice betrayed him.
"Huh?" Ishizaki spread his hands out in an exaggerated gesture.
"We haven't done anything. We haven't even touched you. If you have no appetite, that's your own problem, isn't it?"
"You guys... the surveillance cameras are recording all of this! You'll have your class points deducted!"
"What can the cameras see? We're just standing here watching you eat. Which school rule does that violate? We haven't cursed at you, and we haven't hit you! What does it have to do with us?"
"...Enough! I'm not eating anymore, okay!" The boy stood up, his face pale.
However, Ishizaki Daichi's smile grew even more sinister as he stepped to the boy's side. "Don't be in such a hurry to leave. We just happened to finish eating too. Why don't we go back to the classroom together? Going back to the dorms together works, too!"
"N-no need... I can go back by myself..."
"Why be so polite? Isn't it only right for classmates to look out for one another? Let's go, we'll 'escort' you back. Don't worry! It's not just you—we'll personally take care of the other Class B students one by one."
The four of them gradually disappeared around the corner of the cafeteria.
"Has Ryuen Kakeru finally lost his patience and started to act? Is he already moving against Class B?" Shimizu Akira watched the direction in which they had left.
Deploying delinquents to harass Class B students—this method was despicable, yet unexpectedly effective.
This was a tactic only Ryuen could have come up with: neither resorting to physical violence nor verbal abuse, but simply staring at the opponent with eyes full of malice while they ate, then following them like a shadow.
Even if reported to the Student Council, the other party could easily claim they were just "paying friendly attention to a classmate."
But if one had to endure this kind of harassment over a long period, their mental state would likely suffer.
And the moment a Class B student lost their cool and struck first, they would be met with severe disciplinary action under school rules and a heavy deduction of Class Points.
Ryuen's move played the "dirty trick" card to its absolute limit.
Regardless, whoever got caught in those crosshairs was in for a miserable time.
He just wondered how Ichinose Honami would choose to handle the situation.
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When the final bell rang, the atmosphere in Class 1-D had already undergone a subtle change.
After the homeroom session this morning, Class D had been shrouded in a heavy, low-pressure gloom.
Between Chabashira-sensei's remarks about "defective products" and the brutal reality of their Class Points, the classroom had been filled with a powder-keg tension all morning. Interactions between students had been sharp and prickly.
Yet now—Shimizu Akira looked around and couldn't help but click his tongue inwardly.
In just a single afternoon, under Kushida Kikyo's persuasion, it was as if magic had been performed; the entire class's atmosphere was completely refreshed.
The tense confrontations from the morning seemed as though they had never happened, replaced instead by the rising and falling sounds of laughter and conversation.
Shimizu Akira told himself he was absolutely incapable of reaching this level.
It wasn't that he lacked the high emotional intelligence to be socially versatile.
It was just that being forced to greet everyone with a smiling face was simply too much to ask of him.
Kushida Kikyo and Hirata Yosuke stood on the left and right sides of the podium, explaining the specific arrangements for this month's class activities to their classmates.
However, Koenji Rokusuke and Sudo Ken were already nowhere to be seen. The former had secured special privileges due to his excellent grades, so the two leaders turned a blind eye to him.
The latter had left early on the pretext of club activities. Although Hirata Yosuke had tried his best to get him to stay, he was only met with an impatient rejection.
Watching this, Shimizu Akira shook his head privately.
Because Kushida Kikyo was "two-faced," her charisma was the result of deliberate cultivation—it was fake, but at least it fell within a normal range.
But Hirata Yosuke's near-pathological level of tolerance was truly incomprehensible. It had already moved beyond the realm of being a "nice guy" and seemed more like some kind of self-sacrificing obsession.
"Speaking of which, didn't Chabashira-sensei say we were going to re-elect the class representatives this month?"
A girl's voice suddenly rang out in the classroom, carrying a hint of deliberate reminder.
"In that case, Kushida-san can't continue being the class rep this month, right?" another girl immediately chimed in, her tone hiding a trace of subtle hostility.
"It should be Hirata-kun's turn this time!" several girls who supported Hirata added in unison.
Even though Kushida Kikyo held the title of the "little angel" in class, Hirata Yosuke's gentle reliability had also attracted many fans.
During the last election, some of the girls had voted for him; naturally, they weren't going to let this opportunity pass.
"That... actually, it doesn't matter to me. It's fine no matter who serves as the representative..." Hirata Yosuke showed a gentle smile, trying to ease the tension.
"That won't do!" Kushida Kikyo lowered her head slightly, then looked up again with an understanding smile.
"Since the homeroom teacher said so, it's better if we're fair about it. And... to be honest, I've felt a bit uneasy being the representative all this time."
She paused, then suggested in a cheerful tone, "How about this? Let's decide the representative based on the candidates for the study groups. What do you think?"
"Sounds good!"
"Then I'm going to Hirata's study group!"
"I choose Kushida's study group!"
The class quickly split into two factions, each choosing a side.
Kushida Kikyo took the opportunity to lightly tap the podium with both hands.
"Anyway, the most important thing right now is preparing for the midterm exams! Both Hirata-kun and I will be organizing our own study groups after school. All students who aren't confident in their studies—"
Her gaze inadvertently swept across the back of the classroom, pausing for a subtle moment on Shimizu Akira.
"—especially those students with failing grades. Although it's not mandatory, it's best if you can come three or four times a week! Shimizu-kun!"
'...So I'm on the "failing" list too.'
This realization caused the corner of his mouth to twitch in hindsight. The feeling of being called out in public was indeed a bit subtle.
'Wait? Did I offend her or something? What's the meaning of calling my name out like that?'
Chapter 094 Money Spent, Advantage Taken, and Now Forced to Throw Myself In Too?
Immediately after, Kushida Kikyo walked up to Shimizu Akira with a smile as bright as a flower. "Shimizu-kun, would you like to come and study with us tonight? My Japanese grades are actually quite excellent, so I can definitely provide you with some great tutoring."
Before her voice had even faded, Horikita Suzune's gaze immediately shot toward the suddenly appearing Kushida like a sharp arrow.
'Kushida Kikyo... just what is she plotting?'
An inexplicable sense of displeasure welled up in her heart. After all, for the past two weeks, the task of tutoring Shimizu Akira had always been her responsibility.
However, before she could speak, Shimizu Akira, who was standing beside her, declined with a calm and casual air: "Sorry, I already have plans with Horikita today, so I can't make it."
He had already made an appointment with Horikita Suzune this morning—and because of that, he could only say "sorry" to Kushida Kikyo.
Kushida Kikyo seemed completely blindsided by the rejection. A trace of shock flickered through her eyes, which were usually filled with smiles, but it vanished in an instant. She maintained her perfect smile.
"I see... that's such a shame then."
"Kushida-san? Why are you so obsessed with Shimizu? Aren't his grades pretty mediocre too?"
After the two of them had left the classroom one after another, Yamauchi Haruki leaned in, his tone laced with obvious sourness.
"Yamauchi-kun..." Kushida turned around and spoke very politely.
"Shimizu-kun is quite different from you! He only failed in Japanese; his other subjects are all above 90. Especially Math—he's the only one in the whole class with a perfect score! By inviting him over, he could also help tutor other students. In other words, it's a mutually beneficial move."
"So that's how it is!"
Yamauchi scratched his head awkwardly. But he still felt that something wasn't quite right.
'Damn it! Don't tell me even Kushida is...'
A memory flashed through Yamauchi's mind of the opening ceremony, specifically the cold look in Shimizu Akira's eyes when he had grabbed him by the collar. Even now, thinking back to the overwhelming pressure that guy radiated made his spine tingle.
'But... but this is just too unfair!'
It was one thing for Horikita Suzune, but now even the class's recognized angel, Kushida Kikyo, was acting like this toward that brute...
The consequences of offending Yamauchi Haruki were severe!
He instinctively looked at Shimizu Akira's empty seat and gave it a fierce glare.
Alright! Yamauchi Haruki also knew that he was powerless. Offending him was equivalent to offending no one at all.
"Oh right! Kushida-san? Didn't Shimizu-kun win the vote last month? I heard he pulled in four votes for you. Did you guys go on a date after that?" Kanji Ike, standing nearby, suddenly remembered this and cut in with great interest.
"Hey! Ike! You idiot! Why are you bringing that up all of a sudden!" Yamauchi's face changed instantly. He grabbed Ike's arm and dragged him toward a corner, hissing through gritted teeth in a low voice.
What on earth was this guy thinking! Wasn't he just as interested in Kushida Kikyo as he was?
"Yamauchi, you're the real idiot! Haven't you realized it yet? Given our conditions, it's fundamentally impossible to pursue Kushida Kikyo through normal means!" Ike leaned in even closer, countering urgently in a whisper.
"Wha... what?! Is it really impossible for me to win over Kushida-san?!" Yamauchi froze in place as if struck by lightning. This sentence was like a bolt from the blue, making his eardrums ring.
"Exactly! You're so ugly and you love to brag—how could anyone like you! Our only chance is to win when Kushida-san proposes those bets! Look, isn't this another great opportunity? As long as we keep working our asses off to get votes for her, the right to a date will be ours!" Ike's eyes were glowing, and he became more excited as he spoke.
"However!" He suddenly lowered his voice, his expression becoming solemn.
"Before that, we have to confirm that Kushida-san will actually fulfill her promise. So, letting that Shimizu guy go first... it's all a necessary sacrifice! Just like you, my heart aches too!"
"This..." Yamauchi froze again. Ike's words were like a blunt blow to the head, forcing him to admit that there was indeed some logic there.
Thinking carefully, since the first day of school, he had been incredibly attentive to Kushida Kikyo. For an entire month, he had consistently offered his greetings morning, noon, and night—Good morning, Good afternoon, Good evening—without missing a single one. And the result? Leave aside special treatment; she hadn't even allowed him to address her more intimately.
To this day, it was still a polite and distant "Kushida-san."
Could it be... that just as Kanji Ike said, their only chance was a date won through a bet like this?
Thinking of this, a wave of indignation rose in Yamauchi's heart.
Saying he was ugly? Saying he only knew how to brag? What a joke! Back home, his relatives and friends all called him "Lord Yamauchi." Who didn't praise him for being handsome and having a bright future?
"So, we have to make sure that Shimizu guy can successfully go on a date with Kushida!" Ike patted Yamauchi hard on the shoulder and whispered, "After all, it'll likely be our turn next time."
"Wha... what?! We even have to help him?" Yamauchi's eyes widened, his voice cracking.
Wait! What exactly was Kanji Ike saying? This proposal sounded wrong no matter how you looked at it. But... why did it also inexplicably make so much sense?
Yamauchi suddenly felt that this classmate of his, who usually seemed so foolish, was actually radiating a startling light of wisdom at this moment!
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"Kushida-san... please be sure to fulfill the previous agreement and go on a date with Shimizu-kun once!"
Before Kushida Kikyo could even react, Yamauchi Haruki and Kanji Ike gave her a solemn bow under the gaze of the entire class.
'What are these two morons doing?! Does everyone in Class D have a screw loose?!'
Kushida Kikyo's perfect smile nearly cracked. She was completely unable to comprehend the mental gymnastics of these two.
Usually, they circled around her like lapdogs, yet now they were assisting someone else? Is there something wrong with their brains? Or did they eat shit?
'Don't tell me they're naive enough to think that me dating Shimizu Akira means they have a chance too?
Keep dreaming! Being in the same space as two paramecia like you makes me want to vomit!'
But in front of everyone, she knew she was backed into a corner.
'I've already paid Shimizu Akira 80,000 individual points!
...He even touched me quite a few times right out in the open...
And now I actually have to accompany him on a date?! Just how many times has he freeloaded off me!
Isn't this the definition of losing the wife and the soldiers—the money is spent, the cheap advantage has been taken, and in the end, I have to throw myself into the bargain too?!'
Kushida Kikyo's fingernails dug deep into her palms, yet a smile even more brilliant than spring cherry blossoms bloomed on her face: "Um... I understand, Yamauchi-kun, Ike-kun! Since it's something that was agreed upon, I will definitely have a proper date with Shimizu-kun~"
'Once this is over... I will definitely make these two meddling idiots pay the price!
I'm so pissed off! These two giant dumbasses!'
Chapter 095 Horikita Suzune: Time to Show Some Sincerity
Studying was, quite unexpectedly, a rather fascinating endeavor.
This was especially true when the instructor was a beautiful girl like Horikita Suzune. Not only was she pleasing to the eye, but her teaching style was crisp and efficient—she never wasted words and always hit the nail on the head when pointing out misconceptions.
While explaining the polyphonic nature of Japanese kanji, Horikita specifically used the character "明" (Akira) from Shimizu Akira's name as an example.
"Its kun-reading is 'akaru-i,' describing a state of bright light."
"As for the on-reading, 'myou'..." She paused slightly.
Akira was privately marveling at the linguistic coincidence when he heard her voice suddenly soften: "However, when used as a person's name..."
Horikita Suzune looked up at him, two syllables gently escaping her lips: "Akira."
In that instant, Akira felt a sudden jolt. It was clearly just a standard pronunciation demonstration, yet when his name was uttered by her in that particular tone, he had the brief illusion of being called in a special way.
In Japanese social interactions, forms of address are a profound science. Ordinary friends usually refer to each other by their surnames; only when a relationship reaches a certain level of intimacy do they use first names.
Between peers of the opposite sex, these rules are even more subtle—unless they are childhood friends who grew up together, a girl calling a boy by his first name almost always implies they are dating, or at the very least, that one party harbors special feelings.
"Focus. I was just telling you the third way to read the character." Horikita Suzune cleared her throat, her voice returning to its usual coldness.
"Do you also know the four different ways to write the character for 'return'?"
"???"
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"That's all for today." When the clock struck 4:30 PM, Horikita Suzune suddenly closed her notebook.
Akira, who was immersed in a grammar point he had just clarified, looked up in surprise. "It's not the scheduled end time yet, is it?"
The girl didn't answer immediately.
"Come to think of it..." Her voice was softer than usual. "We've been studying like this for half a month now."
"And today is May 1st." She suddenly raised her eyes, her outstretched palm appearing exceptionally fair and white.
Akira thought for a moment, reached out to touch her slightly cool skin, then pulled back as if struck by a localized electric shock. "Again?"
He shook his head helplessly.
"I've said it many times: I won't be your partner. You should give up on that naive plan of yours sooner rather than later—your chips simply aren't enough."
"You misunderstand!" Horikita Suzune suddenly squeezed his fingers firmly.
"Last time, I agreed to tutor you to pay back those 16,000 points. Now that two weeks have passed and it's a new month..." She narrowed her eyes.
"It's time for you to show some sincerity, isn't it?"
"Oh?" Akira arched an eyebrow. He slowly pressed his index and middle fingers together and lightly tapped her palm. "Is this amount enough?"
Horikita Suzune stared at the two fingers, then suddenly grabbed his wrist, forcing his thumb open and pressing it against her hand. "...Add one more."
"Ho, so greedy?" Akira widened his eyes in an exaggerated fashion. "300,000 points? You certainly have some nerve."
"...You misunderstood." She abruptly pulled her hand back. "It's 30,000, not 300,000. My tutoring isn't worth that much."
Akira couldn't help but chuckle. "So it's 30,000."
30,000 points a month—he calculated quickly in his head. Last month it was 16,000 for two weeks; this was practically giving him a discount and saving him 2,000 points.
This shrewd honor student, Horikita Suzune, was unexpectedly bad at bargaining for her own benefit. At the beginning, she used to lash out at him with a poison tongue, but Akira felt her personality was becoming increasingly straightforward.
With a "ding," he transferred 100,000 points directly.
"You!" Horikita Suzune stared at her phone screen. "What is this? Charity?"
Akira couldn't help but rub his temples. "70,000 of that is hush money. After all, only you and Chabashira-sensei know that I sold intelligence to Class D to get that 1 million points. Consider this insurance; I don't want anyone else knowing about that matter."
In truth, he trusted Horikita's character and felt it was unlikely she would blab. However, for the sake of stability, proposing a transaction was only natural. There was also another reason—the tutoring fee she requested was simply too low.
"...I see. So that's it." Horikita Suzune visibly relaxed quite a bit and nodded heavily. "I promise you, I will absolutely not mention this to anyone."
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Akira returned to his dorm after dinner. There were fifty minutes left before Kamuro Masumi's visit.
This would be the first girl to officially visit his room—Karuizawa Kei's previous appearance was a pure ambush and didn't count.
The room wasn't messy, but rather excessively empty. Aside from the standard school-issued furniture, he had very few personal belongings: a laptop on the desk and an electric kettle next to it.
"It really is too sparse..." Akira touched his chin and looked around.
Since he didn't know how to cook, he didn't even have basic kitchenware. A few cases of bottled water were stacked in the corner, and in the closet, only a couple of sets of casual clothes hung sparsely next to his neatly hung school uniforms.
Come to think of it, this was almost no different from the single-occupancy dorm he had as a working adult in his previous life.
He rolled up his sleeves and began to tidy: the wrinkled bedsheets were pulled flat, and scattered stationery was tucked into drawers. When he was putting the trash from the floor into a bag, he checked his phone. It was already 6:40 PM.
"Right, I still need to investigate the background of Shiina Hiyori from Class C." Akira slapped his forehead, finally remembering this urgent matter.
Since the other party had begun investigating last month's "surveillance rental" incident in the capacity of a "detective," he, as the person involved, had to find a way to prevent the truth from surfacing.
Although the two of them had met once in the library last month, it was merely a chance encounter. Their conversation hadn't exceeded ten sentences, yet that girl had left a deep impression on him.
Shiina Hiyori felt like a "literary girl" who had stepped out of a work of fiction, carrying a Yamato Nadeshiko aura that was rare in modern Japan.
She was gentle and kind, as evidenced by the circumstances of their meeting—she had kindly warned him that he had chosen the wrong book. She was surely an exceptionally bright girl. After all, someone who could consistently immerse themselves in reading at the library was bound to have a sharp mind.
'Then again, her personality doesn't seem like the type to actively investigate such things. Is it as expected? Was she ordered to do so by Ryuen Kakeru?
I wonder just how far her investigation has progressed?'
Chapter 096 Kamuro Masumi: Who Wants Hot Cocoa? I Want Iced Cola!
Shimizu Akira splashed some cold water on his face.
Just as he turned off the faucet, he heard the long-awaited knock at the door. He walked over to open it.
Kamuro Masumi stood there with her arms crossed, the dissatisfaction in her brow almost tangible.
"Please come in, Kamuro-san." Akira calmly stepped aside to let her pass, intentionally avoiding her aggressive gaze.
"You can sit—"
Before he could finish, Kamuro Masumi had already strode into the room and sat down unceremoniously on his bed. She sat with her back straight, hands propped at her sides.
"So, don't you have anything to say to me? Shimizu Akira!"
Akira took a seat properly in the chair at his desk and spoke with a sincere tone: "Regarding what happened at the start of school, it was indeed my fault. I shouldn't have used you as a stake in a bet, and I certainly shouldn't have hidden the truth afterward. I should have taken the initiative to explain everything to you."
"..." Kamuro Masumi's tense shoulders relaxed ever so slightly.
The purpose of her visit was simply to see what kind of attitude Akira was holding. Now it seemed that, at the very least, his attitude in admitting his mistake was sincere.
In truth, this wasn't entirely Akira's fault.
She wasn't stupid; with a little thought, she could guess that it was likely Sakayanagi Arisu's bad idea. Of course, Akira was also in the wrong for agreeing to it. If one were to divide the blame, Arisu deserved sixty lashes, while Akira deserved forty.
Then again, Akira had ultimately bought the beer—preventing her from actually committing theft—and even gave the beer to her in the end. Looking at it that way, it could barely offset half of his fault.
But the remaining twenty lashes still had to be dealt.
The reality was that what bothered her wasn't just being used as a stake, but the fact that he had kept her in the dark. That feeling of being excluded was more irritating to her than any bet.
However, looking at the boy before her lowering his head to apologize, and seeing the neat room that had clearly been tidied up for her arrival, most of the anger in her chest dissipated unknowingly.
"Would you like some hot cocoa? The water is already boiled and it'll be ready in a moment. Just wait a second for me," Akira asked nonchalantly, turning around to prepare the hot drink for her.
"Okay!" she answered instinctively, before suddenly realizing something. She watched his back, her eyes widening slightly.
'Wait! How does he know I like hot cocoa?
This guy... could it be that he knew what I liked to drink all along!'
When Kamuro Masumi arrived, she was so angry she was about to explode! If anger levels could be quantified, her index was definitely breaking the 90 mark. If Akira had dared to say one wrong word, she would have sent a flying kick his way—the long, black-stockinged legs she wore today weren't just for show; she fully intended to leave a few footprints on this bastard to vent her frustration.
But strangely, from the moment she stepped into this room, her anger began to deflate like a leaking balloon. That sincere apology had directly cut her anger level in half, dropping it from 90 to 45.
And when the words "hot cocoa" came out of Akira's mouth, she clearly felt another 10 points of anger hiss away. Right now, she couldn't even fire off a basic skill, let alone a "Finisher."
This feeling of having her rhythm completely controlled by the other party made her very uncomfortable.
'Dammit... how did I unknowingly get swept up in his pace?'
Kamuro Masumi suddenly realized this, and alarm bells began ringing in her head. She was always the one in control of the initiative; when was it someone else's turn to lead the situation?
"Who wants hot cocoa!" she suddenly raised her voice, intentionally being contrarian.
"I want iced cola! The kind with ice!"
To her surprise, Akira didn't even bat an eye. He naturally picked up his jacket, his tone calm: "Iced cola, right? I'll go buy it now. Is there anything else you want to eat? I'll bring it back together."
This effortless attitude gave Kamuro Masumi a sense of powerlessness, as if she were punching cotton. She opened her mouth, suddenly unsure of how to respond.
Just as Akira's left foot was about to cross the threshold, Kamuro Masumi finally couldn't hold it back anymore.
"...Forget it!" She turned her face away, her voice tinged with reluctance.
"I'm dying of thirst right now, I'll just make do with whatever."
Akira couldn't help but shake his head inwardly.
'Even though your favorite thing to drink is hot cocoa.'
This piece of intelligence had been revealed to him by a "Daily Intel" report sometime last month. What surprised him, however, was that he expected this "cold and proud" girl to at least make things difficult for him by making him run two or three trips. He hadn't expected that she wouldn't even have the heart to let him run the first one.
'As expected, Kamuro is essentially a very gentle person.'
He skillfully brewed the hot cocoa and moved a small tea table between them. When he handed over the cup, he couldn't help but gaze at her with an inexplicable smile.
Kamuro Masumi felt completely awkward under his gaze. She took a hasty sip, then "thumped" the cup down heavily, her eyes suddenly turning sharp.
"Shimizu Akira, what are you staring at me for!" She reached out aggressively. "Give me your arm!"
"Alright." Akira cooperatively extended his right arm.
Kamuro Masumi grabbed his forearm, pinched a piece of skin between her thumb and index finger, and twisted as hard as she possibly could—only for it to feel like she was pinching a hardwood board. She couldn't move it at all!
'Is this guy's arm made of iron?!'
She was shocked to find that the muscles beneath her fingertips were firm beyond imagination; even through the school uniform, she could feel how incredibly hard he was.
'A muscle idiot! No wonder he was placed in Class D!'
Even though the "punishment" had ended in failure, she couldn't let her momentum falter. "That's what you get for offending me, understand!"
"I understand, I understand!" Akira nodded, barely stifling a laugh.
What kind of punishment was this? If anything... wasn't this basically just acting spoiled?
Kamuro Masumi rolled her eyes at him and suddenly threw out a very serious question: "About you being assigned to Class D... don't you have anything to say? You must have been told something by your homeroom teacher today, too."
She remembered clearly from the messages she sent Akira last month that, just like Sakayanagi Arisu, he already knew the rules the school was intentionally hiding.
'With his abilities... how did he end up in Class D? Then again, he told me before that he did terribly on the exams—did he have an upset stomach that day?'
From her observations these past few days, Akira was exceptional in both IQ and EQ, completely unlike that ragtag crowd in Class D.
"I don't have any particular thoughts on it," Akira answered as usual.
"Hey!" Kamuro Masumi slammed her cup down, the bottom hitting the table with a crisp clink. "Don't you go mixing in with those pieces of trash in Class D! You should put in some effort when it's time to work hard."
But the moment the words left her mouth, she suddenly realized something.
If her own theft had been discovered by the school back then, wouldn't she have been thrown into Class D as well?
Chapter 097 Stop Tempting Me, Kamuro-san!
"Don't be in such a rush." Shimizu Akira noticed that Kamuro Masumi seemed even more anxious about him being assigned to Class D than he was himself.
Today was May 1st, and he guessed her homeroom teacher had also emphasized the hierarchy of the four classes. Especially the point that only Class A could enjoy the vast majority of the school's resources—the fact that graduation meant a direct recommendation to the University of Tokyo was alone enough to make anyone envious. By comparison, the other three classes were practically treated like discarded pawns.
"Effort without reward is worse than not trying at all," Akira spoke his mind bluntly.
"The thought of having to carry those guys in our class who are just looking for a free ride all the way to Class A... just thinking about it makes me feel disgusted."
"Idiot! Do you think I don't know that?" Kamuro Masumi rolled her eyes fiercely.
"You're talking about that Yamauchi guy, right? He's repulsive! Even we in Class A know about his foul reputation! You think a ragtag bunch like Class D can rise to Class A? In your dreams! We in Class A won't give you any opportunities!"
Akira was slightly taken venture. Had Yamauchi's bad reputation actually spread all the way to Class A?
However, Kamuro Masumi was clearly underestimating Class D. If one set aside the few who dragged everyone down, Class D's actual strength was quite formidable, fully capable of competing with Classes A and B.
"You really are stupid!" Kamuro Masumi looked at him with disdain and suddenly kicked the table in the middle aside with her foot.
The tip of her foot, wrapped in black silk stockings, brushed lightly against Akira's calf, carrying a faint, lingering warmth. "The 'effort' I'm talking about is saving up individual points! If you save up 20 million... can't you just transfer classes? You don't even understand that?"
Only then did Akira notice that, at some point, Kamuro Masumi had taken off her shoes. Her slender legs were now resting casually against the edge of his bed. More importantly, that touch just now—
Though it wasn't painful, it made his heart feel inexplicably itchy. After all, he was just a vigorous sixteen-year-old high school boy.
Was this person doing this unintentionally, or was it on purpose?
He forced himself to look away, trying to pull his attention back to the main topic. "Wait! How did you know about that?"
"Our homeroom teacher told us, obviously! It was announced at the class meeting today!" Kamuro Masumi looked at him with an expression of disbelief.
"Don't tell me... your class doesn't even know about this?"
"The homeroom teacher?!" Akira was momentarily stunned.
It was actually the teacher who said it? Wait—why hadn't Chabashira from Class D mentioned a single word about it?!
"Did you guys ask him, or did he..." he pressed further.
"He told us of her own accord!" Kamuro Masumi interrupted him again with a look of disdain, using the tip of her right foot to lightly kick his thigh.
"We're the honor students of Class A; we're already in the best class. Why would we suddenly ask about transfer conditions? Are you stupid!"
"Kamuro-san, a conversation is a conversation, but can you stop kicking me?" A
kira finally couldn't hold back any longer.
"I know you don't mean anything by it, but if this continues, I won't be able to take it."
Think about it: Kamuro Masumi was already beautiful to begin with. Right now, her legs were clad in exquisite black stockings, she was sitting on his bed, and she had lightly kicked him twice with her toes. It didn't hurt, but it certainly teased his heart.
Anyone else would likely perceive this as intentional seduction, wouldn't they? But this was Kamuro Masumi; she probably didn't mean it that way at all.
Still, Akira really couldn't handle it—what red-blooded male high school student could withstand this kind of temptation?
"...You guy!" Kamuro Masumi's face changed instantly, and her earlobes turned a faint red.
She truly didn't mean it that way! It was just a subconscious act of disdain that led her to kick him twice. But considering this was Akira's room and she wasn't wearing shoes—thinking about it objectively, her actions just now really did look like she was trying to seduce him.
"Shimizu Akira! You have thoughts about me!" Kamuro Masumi suddenly stood up, glaring at him with a condescending gaze.
"Yeah, is there something wrong with that?" Akira nodded frankly instead.
"I'm a normal, healthy male high school student, and you're a beautiful girl. We're currently in a private room together, and you've rubbed your feet against me twice. Isn't it only natural that I'd have thoughts about you?"
There was really no point in lying about it, was there? If he had thoughts, he had thoughts.
He wasn't some "yasashii" (overly kind/oblivious) male protagonist from a different series!
Kamuro Masumi's movements suddenly froze. She realized belatedly that if a girl went this far and a boy remained completely indifferent, either there was something wrong with him "down there," or he was just putting on an act.
Of course, it was also possible he was a one-in-a-million saintly gentleman... but in her sixteen years of life, she had never met such a person.
But this Shimizu Akira—he actually just said it out loud so bluntly?!
The conversation had been quite pleasant just a moment ago. She was used to showing him a bit of disdain, finding it interesting to see him get flustered. It felt like teasing an idiot.
But now... he was actually looking at her with that kind of gaze?
'I treat you as a friend, but you actually harbor improper thoughts about me?'
While it was, in a way, an acknowledgment of her charm... it was also incredibly embarrassing!
Kamuro Masumi maintained her composure on the surface, but the tips of her ears were already burning red. After all... she was the one who moved her feet first, wasn't she?
"I'm going back! I can't be bothered with you!" She stood up abruptly.
Having said that, she dashed out of the room as if escaping, almost forgetting to put on her shoes.
"Ah... she's gone just like that? Wait? Does this count as running away? I thought she came here to settle a score!" Akira was left stunned in place.
He hadn't expected that the always cold-faced Kamuro Masumi would have such a flustered side. It seemed that no matter how much someone pretended to be indifferent, there would eventually be a moment where they lost their cool.
Akira took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
That said, the information Kamuro Masumi brought was quite substantial; he needed to organize it properly. He wondered if the other classes knew about this news as well.
He took out his phone and sent a message directly to Ichinose Honami to verify.
The other party replied quickly, confirming it: Class B had also received the notification regarding the 20-million-point transfer rule.
"Even that somewhat unreliable Hoshinomiya-sensei mentioned it..." Akira put down his phone, his brow furrowed.
This discovery made things subtle.
'So, why did Chabashira-sensei choose to hide it?'
Was it because she didn't want Class D to lose students? But looking at all of Class D, he was likely the only one who could currently amass such a huge sum.
Of course, there was another possibility— Chabashira Sae simply didn't care about Class D at all. Since no one met the criteria and no one asked, she simply saved herself the trouble of making the announcement. Chabashira was just that kind of lazy person.
His gaze fell upon the pair of women's flat shoes that had been forgotten by their owner by the door. The toes were still pointing slightly inward, as if silently testifying to the owner's embarrassment during her hasty escape.
"So, what am I supposed to do with these shoes?"
Chapter 098 Today's Intel: Ayanokouji Kiyotaka is an Alternate / Shiina Hiyori Seeking an Assistant
Tuesday. Another new day.
Shimizu Akira looked at the intel refreshed for today, his eyes slowly scanning through each entry.
The "Alternate" (Pseudo-human) of Class 1-D is Kiyotaka Ayanokouji. In order to investigate the surveillance camera incident, Shiina Hiyori of Class 1-C—who is not skilled at interacting with others—is desperately hoping for an assistant to aid her investigation. Today at 5:30 PM, she will go to the library again to look for a helper, intending to pay 10,000–20,000 points as a reward.
Her internal requirements for an assistant are: someone who likes reading mystery novels, has a kind personality, shares common topics of conversation; someone who can communicate smoothly with students from all four first-year classes and possesses certain social skills; and someone who is calm, rational, and can complement her own personality.
The school allows Kouhai to proactively purchase exam papers from Senpais.
'Wait! What the hell is an "Alternate"?! Have I accidentally wandered into some sci-fi horror set?'
When Shimizu Akira saw the first piece of intel, the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily. In his understanding, an "Alternate" or "Pseudo-human" usually referred to those mechanical androids or mimics that lacked human emotion.
But Kiyotaka Ayanokouji—no matter how you looked at him, he should be a living, breathing human being.
'Could he be... a robot wearing human skin?'
This absurd thought made Akira unable to resist glancing sideways at the classmate beside him. He feigned a natural greeting: "Ayanokouji-kun, good morning!"
the other party turned his head, his calm eyes looking toward him: "Shimizu-kun, good morning."
'Isn't this reaction perfectly normal?' Akira muttered to himself.
'The vibration frequency of his vocal cords is very natural. Although he has almost no micro-expressions on his face, his body was clearly normal during swimming class; I didn't see any obvious non-human physiological traits.'
This piece of intel was like an unsolvable math problem, leaving him completely at a loss. 'Forget it, I'll just make a note of it for now.'
The second piece of intel was finally much more normal, though the word count was significant—it was likely the longest entry to date.
'Looking for an assistant? I see. It seems her deductions aren't progressing very smoothly.'
After a moment's thought, Akira could roughly understand why Shiina Hiyori's progress was stalled. She had a quiet personality and, to some extent, only wanted to talk about topics she was interested in with people she found interesting. Being the type who wasn't great at dealing with people, it was naturally difficult for her to take the initiative to talk to others. That's why she needed an assistant to help her scout for information.
He noticed the requirements Shiina Hiyori had for an assistant; these were likely her private thoughts, listed quite specifically: liking mystery novels, having common topics...
'Wait, maybe this is a good opportunity?'
Akira suddenly realized. He had been worrying yesterday about what to do if Shiina Hiyori discovered the truth.
Why not take the opportunity to join her investigation as an assistant? That way, he could both gauge her progress and quietly guide her toward a wrong deduction—killing two birds with one stone.
It looked like he would have to pay a visit to the library after school today.
As for the third piece of intel... Akira was slightly taken aback.
Only Kouhais were allowed to buy from Senpais? Could that be understood the other way around—that Senpais were forbidden from selling to Kouhais? But why would past test papers have any resale value? And why would the school prohibit reverse transactions?
The answer was actually quite obvious. Could it be that the content of the first-year midterm exams consisted entirely of old questions from previous years? Is that why they were valuable?
Akira turned to Suzune Horikita, who had just sat down in her seat, and said, "I might not be able to make it to tutoring after school for the next few days. I have something to take care of, so you can take a break too."
This was also intended as a "vacation" for her. After all, for the past two weeks, they had spent at least four or five days a week studying for nearly an hour and a half after school.
"You have something to do?" Her tone betrayed no emotion, yet she stopped her hand just as she was about to flip open her textbook.
Akira replied casually, "Yeah, a bit of personal business."
He didn't plan on going into detail—he couldn't exactly tell her he was going to the library to help someone else investigate a case where he was the culprit.
Horikita was silent for two seconds, her fingertips lightly tapping the desk.
"Understood. However..."
She suddenly shifted the topic and pulled a memo out of her pencil case.
"This is the focus of the review for the next few days. If you have time, you'd better go over it yourself."
The memo was pushed onto his desk. On it, in neat handwriting, were listed Japanese language points and common error areas, with even the example page numbers clearly marked.
Akira looked at the memo, somewhat surprised. "You even made a plan?"
"I just don't want to have to explain last week's content to you all over again during our next session." Horikita looked away.
"Also, your Japanese mock exam is still with me. Remember to take it back and correct your mistakes."
Having said that, she reopened her textbook as if the act of handing over the memo had just been a passing gesture. Akira held the thin slip of paper, suddenly feeling that this "vacation" might not be so relaxing after all—at the very least, this tutor had already pre-arranged his self-study schedule.
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.
.
At the end of school, President Sato of the Boxing Club suddenly sent a message asking him to come by the clubroom. Akira thought about it; he really hadn't shown his face at the boxing club much lately.
In recent weeks, he had only gone two or three times a week—basically, Sato-senpai would demonstrate that week's training content and then let him go back to practice on his own. Come to think of it, the Senpai had sent a message earlier saying he could finally put on the boxing gloves this month.
Since he had to go to the library to find Shiina Hiyori, he needed to finish up at the boxing club as quickly as possible. Akira figured that if he just showed his face to the President and explained the situation, he should be able to leave early.
Just as he walked to the door of the boxing clubroom, he heard the muffled thuds of gloves hitting a sandbag inside. When Akira pushed the door open and entered, President Sato, who was on the ring, nodded to him. He nodded back and walked straight to the line for freshman training.
There were already four freshmen in this batch, one of whom was a tall foreign boy wearing sunglasses. Upon seeing him clearly, Akira finally remembered his name— Yamada Albert from Class C, who seemed to be a subordinate of Ryuen Kakeru. Just looking at his 1.9-meter height, it was obvious the guy was a powerhouse.
Akira adjusted his stance according to the Senpai's guidance and trained for a while. His peripheral vision caught the wall clock—the hands were already pointing to 4:10 PM. He'd grab a quick bite and then it would be time to meet Shiina Hiyori at the library.
"President Sato, can I bother you for a second?"
"Sure, let's talk outside. I could use a breather anyway."
The two of them walked to a secluded corner of the clubroom before Akira asked, "Senpai, would I be able to buy the first-year midterm and monthly exam papers from you?"
"Ah! Come to think of it, it is about that time!" President Sato was stunned for a moment, then clapped his hands together. "But wait, did you discover this on only the second day? You're buying them quite early. Fine, I'll organize them when I get back and send them to you. As for points, don't worry about it—consider it your club activity budget for this month."
Chapter 099 Shiina Hiyori: Where is my Watson?
In truth, obtaining the midterm and monthly exam papers didn't necessarily have to be limited to second-year students. Buying papers from third-year Senpais was also a viable option. As long as they were old exam papers from a Senpai, they should be useful. After all, they were all questions from previous years. The current second-year students likely obtained their papers from the third-years in the first place.
This thought brought Akira a sense of sudden enlightenment, and at the same time, he remembered that the second year was currently under the control of Nagumo Miyabi. This realization led him to a new question.
"Sato-senpai," Akira asked naturally, "Do all four classes in the third year follow the unified arrangements of the Student Council President?"
President Sato was silent for a moment, quite appreciative of this kouhai's keen observation skills. As a Senpai from Class 3-A, he felt it necessary to properly educate this new student on the school's distribution of power.
"More or less, Akira," Sato organized his thoughts. "Since you've already been here for a month, as your Senpai, I'll tell you about the situation in the second and third years."
Through Sato's explanation, the situation Akira learned of was basically consistent with his previous guesses: the second year was indeed completely under the control of Nagumo Miyabi. Every class had to pay him a "protection fee" every month.
Since Nagumo entered the second year, his sphere of influence had begun to penetrate the third year.
Faced with this situation, the third-year students had no choice but to unite. They spontaneously formed a group centered around Student Council President Horikita Manabu, following the unified command of the Student Council in daily affairs.
Sato-senpai patted Akira's shoulder and said in a relaxed tone, "Don't worry too much! You're just a freshman; Nagumo Miyabi won't make a move against you for the time being. As long as the Student Council President is here, he will protect the interests of the first-years and other vulnerable groups."
As he spoke, his expression turned slightly complex. "However... it is precisely because the President is too gentle and doesn't like conflict or power struggles that Nagumo's influence has grown day by day.
In our Class A, not a single person has been forced to withdraw since the start of school—this is all thanks to the President's protection. Therefore, everyone in the class holds him in high regard."
"I see." Akira couldn't help but nod silently.
It seemed that the others in Class A didn't respect Horikita Manabu just because of his status as Student Council President—they also respected his character and strength.
Akira privately found it interesting. Although these third-year Senpais were willing to share what they knew, they always treated the first-year kouhais like small children, feeling that they were objects to be protected.
It made sense when he thought about it. The first-year students had only been at school for a little over a month; they barely had any points and hadn't experienced any major storms.
However, he keenly sensed that this midterm exam might be another great opportunity to earn points—and this time, the target probably wouldn't be limited to the first years.
Akira thought it over; even if he sold the papers, he could only sell them to one class, and the price probably wouldn't be that high.
'Based on the academic ability of Classes A and B, they probably don't need these papers. Class D goes without saying—those people are already out of points. It seems only Class C is left.
But, regarding the second and third years... there might be an opportunity there.
The key lies with those two: Nagumo Miyabi and Horikita Manabu.'
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A phone screen lit up. The notification sound for a new message was exceptionally clear in the quiet library.
Ryuen Kakeru: How is the investigation progressing? It's been half a month; you aren't slacking off, are you?
Shiina Hiyori's slender fingers slid across the screen as she replied: Please give me a little more time. Currently, all clues have been organized; only the final questioning phase remains.
The moment the message was sent, the other party replied immediately.
Ryuen Kakeru: So you're short on hands? Do you want me to send Ishizaki to help you?
Seeing the name "Ishizaki Daichi," Shiina Hiyori frowned slightly. The scene from last month flashed before her eyes: Ishizaki Daichi unhesitatingly swinging a chair and smashing it into a surveillance camera.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but raise her hand to lightly rub her temples.
'Ishizaki-kun is indeed very reliable... but as an investigative assistant... he very much does not meet my requirements.'
Shiina Hiyori hesitated for a moment, her fingertips tapping the screen.
Shiina Hiyori: That won't be necessary, thank you for your kind offer.
After sending the message, she set her phone to silent mode.
She loved mystery novels, but rather than being obsessed with the moment the truth is revealed, she was more enchanted by the process of "peeling back the layers."
Just like in the Sherlock Holmes stories, what made her heart race was never the final moment the culprit was caught, but every detail of the detective investigating side-by-side with his doctor friend—Watson recording the clues, Holmes performing the deductions, the two of them exchanging thoughts by the fireplace at 221B Baker Street.
'That kind of understanding... that kind of bond...'
Whenever she read such scenes, she would unconsciously hold her breath, as if she could hear her own racing heartbeat. Sometimes she would even put down her book and lightly raise a non-existent teacup to the air:
"A toast to their friendship."
In fact, every time she opened a new mystery novel, she would instinctively project herself into the detective's perspective. She would search for traces between the lines and pit her wits against the fictional culprit in the maze constructed by the author. Occasionally, while walking on campus, if she saw a suspicious scrap of paper or unusual footprints, she would subconsciously stop and weave a small "deduction theater" in her mind.
'If it were Holmes... if it were Poirot...'
It was for this reason that the "gray energy-saver" from Hyouka was so attractive to her.
But reality was not a novel after all. She hadn't met a young lady who would say "I'm curious!" nor had a rose-colored campus life suddenly descended upon her.
Until—Ryuen Kakeru's request.
"Find the person who rented the surveillance cameras."
This allowed her to touch a real case for the first time. However, now that half a month had passed, the mountain of accumulated clues made her realize clearly: a solo detective ultimately has their limits.
"I need a partner... just as Holmes needed Watson."
Shiina Hiyori didn't consider herself dull—reading hundreds of mystery novels allowed her to easily see through most tricks set by authors, sometimes even allowing her to accurately lock onto the culprit by the third chapter.
But between the world of paper and real life, there lay an insurmountable chasm. Books tell the clues to the reader in an organized fashion. Reality, however, requires the detective to take
the initiative, throwing questions at strangers and capturing fragments of the truth from flickering eyes and trembling voices.
And for her, someone whose palms would sweat even during daily conversation, this was no different from asking a nightingale to sing in a storm.
Chapter 100 Coincidentally Meeting Shimizu-kun, Whom I Met Last Time
Over these past few days, the concept of her "ideal partner" had gradually taken shape in her mind.
First and foremost, they had to be a mystery lover—this was beyond doubt. She imagined two people in the library on a quiet afternoon, arguing until their faces were red over some "locked-room" trick, only to look at each other and smile because of a sudden spark of inspiration.
'At the very least, they should be able to understand terms like "Red Herring" and "Knox's Ten Commandments"...'
A kind character was the baseline. After all, Sherlock Holmes could have a peculiar temper, but Watson was forever warm and reliable.
'The wavelength of our communication must be in sync...'
If there was an awkward silence even while discussing The Tragedy of Y, how could she expect sparks of thought to fly during an investigation?
Second, their social skills had to be outstanding—this was the shortfall she most desperately wanted to compensate for. The ideal partner should be like a social butterfly, moving effortlessly between the four classes, able to strike up a conversation with everyone from the shiest girl to the most aggressive boy.
Meanwhile, she would only need to stand quietly in the shadows, catching every unnatural pause and suspicious micro-expression, much like Holmes observing a client.
'Though it isn't 221B Baker Street... this kind of division of labor would be perfect...'
Third, it would be best if they were a handsome male student.
She had seriously studied the chapters on the "Halo Effect" in Criminal Psychology—people with outstanding looks indeed find it easier to gain the trust of strangers. As for the gender preference, it was purely out of pragmatic considerations: when it came to questioning the sweat-drenched boys of the sports clubs, a male partner would clearly have an advantage.
The moment she thought of this, she stopped herself in a panic.
'What on earth am I daydreaming about...'
Shiina Hiyori buried her face in her palms. Reality wasn't Hercule Poirot; how could a perfect assistant who met every single criteria just fall from the sky?
But when she looked up, her gaze still drifted unconsciously toward the library entrance—as if, in the next second, someone carrying a mystery novel would push the door open and walk in.
'As expected... reality doesn't have the coincidental plot devices of mystery novels...'
She sighed softly.
Just then, the glass doors of the library were suddenly pushed open. A burst of crisp voices broke the silence like wind chimes.
"Ichinose-san, those people from Class C have really been pushing their luck lately!"
"Yesterday they cornered Sato-kun at the entrance of the men's restroom again..."
"They specifically target the boys and change people every day. It's impossible to guard against!"
Shiina Hiyori looked up slightly and saw a group of people walking toward the study area not far away. A pink-haired girl, surrounded by the crowd, sat down in the center. She placed her textbook on the table and said very seriously: "I will find a way to handle this matter. For today, let's focus on studying, okay? After all, we came to the library specifically for that. Being noisy will greatly affect our efficiency, and it will also disturb the students in the other seats."
'Ichinose...! The leader of Class B...!'
Hiyori instinctively pulled back her neck but couldn't help peeking through the gaps in the bookshelf. The legendary Ichinose Honami was even more dazzling than she had imagined—not with a piercing light, but like morning sunlight filtering through a sheer curtain, softly enveloping her entire group.
At this moment, she had her hands pressed together in a small gesture of entreaty; this simple action, when performed by her, seemed like a magic spell that instantly calmed the agitated students around her.
"Since Ichinose-san put it that way."
"Fine, we'll all listen to you..."
"You decide, Class Rep."
'Class C... it must have been done by people from our class.'
This realization made the tips of Hiyori's ears burn slightly. Just yesterday, Ryuen Kakeru had gathered the entire class in a karaoke box. "Starting today," he had said, tapping on the glass coffee table, "give special attention to the boys in Class B. I want that woman Ichinose to know how miserable the consequences of offending me are. Besides, before we climb to Class A, we have to crush the stones in our way. Class B's existence is a bit of an eyesore."
All of this stemmed from the turmoil of last month—Ichinose Honami had somehow managed to coax Ryuen's identity out of a Class C student. This had completely incensed Ryuen.
Although he hadn't laid a hand on that student out of respect for Hiyori and Mio Ibuki, anyone with eyes could see he had no intention of letting Ichinose off easily. Moreover, Class B was the first opponent Class C had to overcome to advance.
Although Shiina Hiyori couldn't stand Ryuen's methods, she also understood: her trying to persuade him would not only be useless but might actually result in her getting hit.
She had seen the fate of some of her classmates with her own eyes. She had to admit that in the current Class C, Ryuen was an indispensable existence. Without him, Class C was just a bunch of scattered punks; with him, Class C was truly qualified to compete with the other classes.
But Hiyori quickly suppressed these thoughts—her current focus was investigating the surveillance incident.
Through the bookshelf gaps, she saw Ichinose Honami earnestly guiding her classmates through problems.
'Ichinose-san must know some clues! That day, she was clearly the one who proactively contacted Class C, and immediately after, Ryuen received a friend notification. In other words, she definitely knows that mysterious person, or... she herself might be the mysterious person!'
This key clue instantly connected in her mind, and the object of her suspicion became clear. But even though Hiyori was anxious to step forward and strike up a conversation, her feet felt as if they were nailed to the floor. People were coming and going; she had never had the courage to speak up in front of so many people. Furthermore, she carried the label of "Class C"; their classmates had just been harassed by Class C, so she feared she would only be met with cold eyes if she approached.
Various worries entangled her heart, making it impossible for her to act.
At that moment, Hiyori suddenly noticed Ichinose blink in surprise. She then stood up proactively, an exceptionally brilliant smile spreading across her face: "Shimizu-kun? What a coincidence! Are you also here to study in the library today?"
Hiyori followed her gaze and saw a boy walking toward them. He was about 185cm tall, only half a head shorter than Yamada in her class, but his features were sharply defined. His back was straight—the physique of someone who exercised regularly—and his face carried a look of calm indifference.
"Would you like to study together?"
"No thanks, I didn't actually come here specifically to study." The boy waved his hand.
"I suddenly developed an interest in mystery books a few days ago, so I came to look for some. You guys carry on."
"Alright then." Ichinose Honami nodded slightly, her tone carrying a hint of obvious disappointment.
"Since you say so, Shimizu-kun, we won't disturb you."
Shiina Hiyori watched through the gap in the bookshelf as the boy walked step by step toward her. She was momentarily stunned.
She naturally knew who he was. Last month, it was under her suggestion that he had chosen that specific Japanese tutoring textbook.