Classroom of the Elite: Houtarou Oreki

"The school has ultimately decided to terminate the work permit."

"So all the points you collected must be returned in full."

"The school took back the work permit?" Nagumo Miyabi's female companion, Nazuna Asahina, spoke up.

"Yes." Nagumo nodded. "After all, this is an action capable of affecting the points distributed by the school. The school won't allow it."

"So, I admit that Oreki's insight is quite good, but taking too big a step will tear your balls." Nagumo said.

As he spoke, he watched the expressions of Oreki and Kikyou Kushida.

The result...

He found that neither of them seemed surprised in the slightest.

Had they expected the work permit to be taken back?

"Then keep scanning the QR codes." Oreki maintained the same expression as before. "Nagumo-senpai, you talk too much. You were the one who asked me to come here, yet you made me wait twenty minutes. I don't want to waste any more time on you."

"..." Nagumo. "You bastard!"

"Anyway, don't you understand? You lost our bet. You didn't make five million! The work permit was taken back, so you lost!" Nagumo Miyabi said.

But Oreki remained calm.

His green eyes looked steadily at Nagumo.

"When did I ever say that my plan to make money was to transfer the work permit?"

"When I bought out the work permit, I also signed an agreement allowing the school to take it back at any time," Oreki said.

"Could it be—"

The senior student beside them had already caught on.

Oreki nodded lightly.

"Yes. I thought that since the Student Council Board was so tolerant that it was willing to accept a transfer despite clearly knowing it would cause a stir at school, it wouldn't treat me poorly."

"And now that Nagumo-senpai has come here so smugly, I assume the school's measures have already begun."

[3 million points have been deposited into your private account. Sender: XF10001]

As Oreki spoke, a voice notification sounded.

It was a deposit notification from his phone.

Three million.

This was the money Oreki had paid to the school.

One million to buy the work permit, then two million to buy it out.

The same price Nagumo Miyabi had paid.

But now, the school had actually returned that money.

Nagumo and Asahina's expressions changed immediately.

As first-year students, they knew very well what the transfer account XF10001 represented. It was the account from which the school deposited points on the first day of every month.

In other words.

The school had clearly decided to terminate the contract, yet it had promptly refunded Oreki. Did that mean... it might really offer compensation?

And how much would that compensation be?

In other words.

Was Houtarou Oreki actually after those points?

Nagumo bit his lip.

As he thought this, he held his breath and waited for the school's next transfer.

Beep!

"5,000 points have been deposited into your private account. Sender: XF10001."

At that moment, another deposit alert rang out from a phone.

"Heh, only fifty thousand in compensation—"

Nagumo was somewhat stunned when he heard it, but he also seemed slightly relieved.

However, a senior student sitting in the corner stood up.

He was holding his phone.

"The work permit was terminated?"

The senior student stood up in surprise.

Then he looked at his phone screen.

[We regret to inform you that, after careful consideration, the school has decided to revoke the work permit. The 100,000 points used for your purchase will be refunded, and the school will compensate you with half that amount.]

Uh.

In other words, this was the notification on the senior student's phone.

He had participated in purchasing a work permit last night.

Then the school terminated it and offered compensation as reassurance.

So it wasn't just Oreki who had received fifty thousand points in compensation.

Damn it!

Nagumo Miyabi's expression was nearly impossible to maintain.

Still, he was somewhat relieved.

Because.

Those who had bought work permits merely had their points refunded, plus half of that amount as compensation.

Oreki Houtarou, meanwhile, had been refunded three million points. If he also received half as compensation, then he would make 1.5 million.

But making 1.5 million in a single day was already outrageous. Was money really that easy to earn?

Nagumo Miyabi was a little jealous.

As he thought this.

Beep!

[1...]

Oreki's phone rang.

But he turned off the voice notification midway through.

Then he seemed to stare blankly.

Little Kushida, whom Oreki had brought along as a backdrop to dampen Nagumo's momentum, was standing beside him on the same side.

The voice notification had been cut off, but she saw the deposit information on the Student ID Card.

The result had apparently exceeded even her expectations, leaving her utterly stunned.

"How is that possible—"

She said in surprise.

"Is that so? Then it's probably compensation of 1.5 million, half the amount."

"So, Oreki, you overestimated the school."

"Giving you half as compensation is already quite good. You paid three million and made 1.5 million for free."

"And less than a day has passed since our bet, so if you want to earn my three hundred thousand, work harder!"

Nagumo noticed Little Kushida's expression and spoke.

Over the past two days, he felt that he had lost all his face. Now, in front of a cute junior, he had to salvage some of it.

"No." Oreki shook his head. "What are you talking about, Nagumo-senpai?"

"I didn't overestimate the school. If anything, I underestimated it."

"That's why I'm surprised."

"Because."

Houtarou Oreki showed Nagumo the transfer notification sent by the school.

Nagumo's eyes instantly widened.

Because it wasn't a transfer of 1.5 million, nor was it compensation of one million.

It was...

A one followed by seven zeroes.

That was ten million!

Fuck!

The school was truly generous.

It had given Houtarou Oreki more than triple the amount!

[10 million points have been deposited into your private account. Sender: XF10001]

[Note: Houtarou Oreki, this is compensation for your work permit. We look forward to your development.]

Classmate Sakayanagi, did squeezing points out of the Chairman really come with repair work?

[10 million points have been deposited into your private account. Sender: XF10001]

[Note: Houtarou Oreki, this is compensation for your work permit. We look forward to your development.]

This was the transfer Houtarou Oreki received from the school.

"It's actually ten million!"

Everyone understood why Classmate Kushida had looked so shocked just now.

Because.

This was ten million! The school had actually compensated Classmate Oreki with ten million points!

And it was compensation from the school itself, entirely legitimate no matter how he used it!

"So, I've already far exceeded the goal of earning five million in three days."

Houtarou Oreki looked at Nagumo Miyabi, who seemed to be standing there in a daze. "Then, Nagumo-senpai, can you honor our bet and transfer the three hundred thousand points?"

"And."

Houtarou Oreki glanced at senior Nazuna Asahina, who wore a sunflower hairpin.

"Senpai, I suggest that you stay away from Nagumo from now on."

"The school's compensation to me shows that it still values students obtaining points outside the school's system."

"So Nagumo-senpai's store isn't some irresistible prize."

"Right now, Nagumo-senpai is the only voice in the second year, isn't he? But if he interferes with the school's core interests, those around him may get dragged down as well."

"..." Nagumo.

Nagumo came back to his senses.

He forced a smile, because Oreki was saying something strange.

It sounded as though the school had deliberately praised Houtarou Oreki for his awareness.

Was he trying to warn him? Did he think Nagumo was being too ostentatious and going too far?

"Heh... Is that even possible?" Nagumo laughed.

But his heart was far from calm.

Because.