Classroom of the Elite: Houtarou Oreki

But now, they already felt the urgency of being left behind by students from the other classes.

Then the boy at the front spoke up.

"Why should we believe you?"

"After all, the terms you're offering are for us to lend you points, and then starting from the third month, you'll pay 15% interest. Don't you think that's too high?" the boy said.

"What's your name?"

Oreki looked at him.

The boy was fairly well-built and dressed a little differently. He left the first and second buttons undone and rolled up his sleeves.

It seemed to be a habit from his delinquent days.

"Daichi Ishizaki," the boy said. "It just feels like you're offering us too much in return."

"Too much?" Oreki's expression did not change.

Because Ishizaki from Class C had reacted exactly as he had expected.

"I don't think it's too much," Oreki said. Then he stepped aside slightly so everyone could see inside the Milk Tea Shop.

Then he began his presentation.

B-Class's Angel and C-Class's Sage! Part 2!

Oreki gave his presentation.

"The occupancy rate is around 70%," Oreki said. "And this shop was opened by second-year Class 2-A students after they spent a year saving up for it."

"And this is the receipt from when I just ordered milk tea with Class B students."

He handed the receipt to Ishizaki.

The other Class C students gathered around and saw that six cups of milk tea, including one cappuccino for the auntie, had cost a total of 2,100 points.

With desserts and snacks added, the total came to 4,100 points.

And that was only the cost of six people sitting down for a while.

"There's profit to be made."

"And this shop only opened two months before we enrolled."

"According to information from the staff, the cost of opening the shop was 15 million points. Its monthly revenue is close to 8 million, while its net profit can reach as much as 2 million."

Oreki said.

As he spoke, Oreki noticed that one of the Class C students had already gone over to the staff.

He gathered information through conversation.

Then he quickly returned and nodded at Ishizaki, indicating that what Oreki had said matched what the staff had told him.

It showed that the Class C students had come with their brains switched on.

They could not simply believe whatever Oreki told them.

Especially...

Was this milk tea shop really that profitable?

As they were thinking that, Oreki slipped his left hand into his pocket.

Then—

With a thud, a student from the Track and Field Club pushed open the glass door and walked in.

"Get me twenty cups of Mango Pomelo Sago and ten pearl milk teas."

"Pack them up."

The Track and Field Club student said.

Because the order was so large, he stood directly by the counter.

Throughout the entire process, Oreki did not speak, while the Class C students watched closely.

Only after the Track and Field Club student left with his takeaway order did the Class C students turn back.

"So takeaway orders are included too?"

"Yes. Since the shop is only open within our school, people can order without dining in as well."

Oh.

In that case, opening a shop could be even more profitable than they had imagined.

Although it was after school, so the shopping street was livelier than usual.

Even so, a 70% occupancy rate at this time was already very high.

They had visited milk tea shops before and knew that people nowadays loved these sweet drinks. They themselves were regular milk tea buyers too.

So...

This kind of investment really could make money.

Some of the Class C students were already tempted.

After all.

The points on Oreki's Student ID Card were terrifyingly numerous.

Back in the past, students had only received ordinary allowances of two or five thousand yen.

Then they came to this school and suddenly received 100,000 points every month.

It truly felt like a dream.

So some students felt uneasy as well.

Should they invest?

And besides.

When it came to reliability, the points Oreki had gathered had practically been approved by nearly ninety students.

If so many people had joined this project, including everyone in Oreki's own class, then if anything went wrong, his entire class would take him down.

That made it feel safe.

"Kikyou Kushida probably already showed you the agreement," Oreki said.

"The version she showed you before was simply a plan for lending points."

"But I've prepared another plan as well."

As he said this, Oreki looked at Horikita Suzune.

Horikita opened the document bag beside her, took out several freshly printed A4 sheets, and handed them to Oreki.

Oreki then distributed them among the Class C students.

"If you merely lend me points, then based on the profits from the shop opened by the second-years, the profits earned over several months would almost equal the interest I return to you."

"But after one year, I would gain a shop."

"The profits afterward would be considerable," Oreki said.

The Class C students nodded at that.

Because that was how they had analyzed it too.

The interest Oreki offered was very high.

Interest would begin from the third month, and judging from the points he was currently collecting, it would take him two to three months to gather enough to open the shop.

After that, he would use the shop's profits to distribute interest among those who had lent him points.

That interest alone would come close to 2 million points.

Did it look unprofitable?

Yes.

On the surface, it looked like breaking even.

However, Oreki's loan agreement only lasted twelve months.

In other words.

After twelve months, he would no longer need to pay everyone.

Yet after one year, he would get a shop for free.

Who would not want that?

So he would still profit.

"Then I introduced a second plan," Oreki said. "After all, opening a shop alone carries considerable risk, so I've decided to spread that risk around."

Then everyone began reading the new proposal.

Store Opening Cooperation Plan

1. Those who participate by paying 50,000 points initially and then 30,000 points each month may choose to forgo interest. However, they will receive shares and become shareholders.

2. After deducting the previous interest payments, future shop income will be divided equally among shareholders.

3. If Class C students participate, please keep it secret from Kakeru Ryuuen.

This plan meant that everyone would become shareholders.

After one year, they could receive dividends from the shop.

It meant sacrificing some immediate gains in exchange for greater long-term benefits.

Of course, they might later have to bear the risk of the shop not being as popular, or possible management issues.

But that only made people more eager to participate.

However.

"Then why don't we in Class C pool our points and open a shop ourselves?" a Class C girl said. "That way, the shop would belong to Class C."

"And you are?"

Oreki looked at her.

She was a girl with slightly wavy hair.

She looked quite distinctive.

"Manabe Shiho," the girl replied.

Her cheeks were faintly flushed.

After all, although Oreki had brought Horikita Suzune along to put on a front, even Kamuro thought he was someone who could make a living off his face.

So there were plenty of girls who liked his type of appearance.

Manabe.

That name sounded like someone who took the blame.

B-Class's Angel and C-Class's Sage! Part 3!

However, Oreki was not the kind of person who commented on other people's names.

"Manabe, do you think the students in your class can gather that many points?"

"I heard there was an incident of violent injury in your class."

"And that's why I added the condition about keeping this from Ryuuen in the third clause."

"I don't want to get involved with someone that troublesome," Oreki said.

Oh.

The moment Oreki mentioned Ryuuen's name, disgust appeared in the Class C students' eyes.