Classroom of the Elite: Houtarou Oreki Chapter 23

"I understand."

Horikita stepped into Oreki's scam.

But since it was called a scam, naturally, it needed someone to package it up.

And the banner they would use was Vice President Nagumo's successful Milk Tea Shop.

They could simply invite people to the shop and let them see the situation for themselves.

"Since it was my suggestion, I'll give you a 10% commission," Oreki said.

"I understand that." Horikita Suzune nodded.

She was actually somewhat relieved.

Because Oreki had not tricked her as well. Instead, he had given her a chance to share the profits.

It should be said that she was actually quite lucky.

If she had not come looking for Oreki so early, then Oreki would not have taken her to the second-year area, and she naturally would not have obtained so much information.

In that case, Horikita might have ended up taking the blame.

However, Oreki also realized that both he and Horikita had a weakness.

Neither of them liked interacting with others.

In other words, they were both lone wolves who kept to themselves.

Oreki wanted to conserve energy, while Horikita Suzune simply felt that she could manage on her own and did not need anyone else.

So neither of them was the type who could talk people into coming to the shop.

To set up this scheme, they needed someone with considerable affinity and social skills.

And wasn't there already someone like that?

Thus.

At the Milk Tea Shop opened by Vice President Nagumo, Oreki met the girl from Class D whom he had encountered the day before, a girl who seemed like a little angel.

Kikyou Kushida.

"Horikita, you're finally willing to talk to me."

"Is something good happening?" She seemed to be in quite a light mood.

Kikyou the Little Angel, the Little Angel Who Takes the Blame!

The last time he had gone to Class D, Oreki had noticed that Class D had two people who were good at adjusting the atmosphere.

One was Yosuke Hirata, and the other was Kikyou Kushida.

Since they were setting up a scam, they needed someone who could liven things up, connect people, and talk students from Class C and Class B into coming over.

And Horikita Suzune recommended Kikyou Kushida.

"Why Kushida?" Oreki asked.

Although it was a setup, looking at the outcome—

1. If the participating students from Class B and Class C did not discover it was a scam, then they would pay every month according to the agreement, while Oreki's side would treat it as borrowing from them.

Then he would repay the money in the end and give them interest.

That meant those students would profit.

2. If someone among the participating Class B and Class C students discovered that it was a scam and terminated the contract early, then the points they had already handed to Oreki would not be returned.

Then they would suffer losses, wouldn't they?

They would, but they would also gain representatives for their own classes.

Someone had once said that what could unite a team was the appearance of an enemy.

And Oreki would play that role.

So the students in those classes would become more united.

That would be a good thing for them.

And for Oreki, regardless of whether the students from Class B and Class C discovered the scam or not, he would have points in hand.

Overall, it was a win-win deal.

And now, Oreki looked at Horikita Suzune.

Horikita took a sip of coffee.

While they waited for Kushida to arrive, she explained the reason to Oreki.

"I don't really want to have friends."

"But Kikyou Kushida has always wanted to become friends with me."

"If she merely wanted to be friends, that would be nothing."

"During her self-introduction, she said that she wanted to become friends with everyone present and spend meaningful school days together."

"However."

"She's a little strange."

"She clings to me. She waits outside my dorm room in the morning, trying to start conversations."

"And I can't feel that she truly wants to become friends with me," Horikita said.

In other words.

Horikita Suzune was being pestered by Kikyou Kushida.

Of course.

There was another reason why she had named Kushida: in her social circle, she probably had never spoken to Hirata, whereas she had at least had some contact with Kikyou Kushida, who had constantly clung to her.

So she chose the one she was slightly more familiar with.

However.

Being able to arrange for Kushida to come over and take the blame, Horikita, you really were something.

And Horikita was probably the kind of person who, having always been alone, did not understand that friends were meant to be friends, not people to be used.

Thus.

Oreki and Horikita waited around six minutes before Kushida came jogging over from the direction of the school building.

Just like when he had first seen her, Kushida still maintained her cute appearance today.

Short golden hair, wine-red eyes like red wine.

And delicate features, along with a sweet smile.

Her neck was very fair, though tiny beads of sweat dotted it.

She seemed to have run over in a hurry.

"Horikita, you're finally willing to ask for me. The moment I got your message at the school building, I ran straight over," Kushida said. "Did something good happen?"

But this was probably her attempt to gain Horikita's favor.

The behavior Horikita Suzune had described made Kushida seem as though she were trying to please her, searching for an opportunity for the two of them to become friends.

So running over immediately after receiving the message was also a way of winning people over.

Of course, she might really have been an angel.

"Oh, Oreki is here too—"

Kushida was not stingy with her smiles. When she looked at Oreki, she gave him a cute smile as well.

However.

Standing before her was Horikita Suzune.

Someone who had not known what friendship was for the past ten years, someone who could radiate a dignified and cold aura at any time, someone who did not understand the atmosphere.

So although Kushida wore a sweet expression, Horikita's face remained unchanged.

"We called you here today because we need your help," Horikita Suzune said stiffly.

"Oh." Kushida stood beside the booth.

She seemed to be considering where to sit.

Oreki and Horikita Suzune had chosen a four-person booth by the window.

And both of them were currently seated on the aisle side.

So was she supposed to sit at the neighboring table?

From her first impression, these two had even specifically ordered milk tea and coffee, so they should have come together.

"Sit here," Oreki said, glancing at Horikita, who was like a woman made of steel.

He moved inward and gave up his seat.

"Thank you." Kikyou Kushida seemed to smile at him gratefully.

Then she revealed a sweet, angelic smile.

At the same time.

Perhaps because they were sitting rather close, a faint yet pleasant fragrance drifted over from Kushida.

It was the scent of perfume.

Jasmine.

So this is what girls are like, Oreki thought.

As he thought that and wanted to look toward Kushida, he found that she had leaned forward with both hands on the table. Yet because of her good figure, something else rested against her arms as well.

From a normal angle, it would not seem like much.

But from Oreki's side angle... it was somewhat magnificent.

Uh.

Better not look.

So the self-controlled Oreki turned back, took out a prepared document, and placed it in front of Horikita Suzune.

Horikita Suzune then pushed the materials toward Kushida.

"What is this?"

Kushida blinked lightly.

"It's a plan between Oreki and me," Horikita said. "How many points do you think our Class D can get next month?"

"Uh..."

A trace of stiffness appeared on Kushida's face.

She lightly stroked the ends of her hair.

A troubled expression appeared on her face.

"If Horikita wants me to persuade everyone—" Kushida said.

"I'm not concerned about that." But Horikita Suzune shook her head.

"Oh." Kushida nodded lightly.

And Oreki noticed that Kushida seemed to have let out a sigh of relief.