Just Want to Be a Slacker

Keep flaunting that rebellious attitude of yours!

And Kouenji's eccentricity successfully caught Ryuen's attention. With a cold laugh, he left Class D's classroom.

Kamio Tatsuya followed the flow of students out of the classroom and headed to the library.

"Ryuen, do you think that guy is Kouenji?"

On the school path, Ishizaki walked behind Ryuen and asked in a low voice.

"Who knows. Probably not, though."

"No? It's not him?"

"That guy in the shadows—since he chose to act anonymously from the start, it means he doesn't want his identity exposed. And Kouenji, from what I've investigated, isn't the type to hide himself. So it shouldn't be him. But don't let your guard down. This could all be a disguise."

Ryuen had gone to Class D today to put pressure on the anonymous sender, but Kouenji ended up messing things up. So whether Kouenji was that anonymous person or not, Ryuen decided to hold a grudge against him.

"Then what about that guy? Are we just supposed to wait?" Ishizaki said, unwilling to accept it.

Ryuen was equally frustrated, but there was nothing he could do. The school wouldn't help, and he had no leads. He couldn't find that person. He'd originally tried to get clues from Yamauchi, but after some probing, he found out Yamauchi was just following someone else's orders. A complete puppet—and a disconnected one at that. The trail went cold, leaving Ryuen with no options.

Still, he wasn't worried. Class D's advantage had an expiration date. Once this month ended, Class D could scrape some points from the Midterm Exam. With points, Class D wouldn't be able to pull tricks like this so easily. So that anonymous person would definitely act again—before the month ended... no, before the Midterm Exam.

Just as Ryuen finished analyzing the situation, things changed.

"Ryuen, that person showed up again."

"Where?"

"On the forum again. They said they want each class to donate 400,000 Private Points to Class D before tomorrow's dismissal. The points go to Class D's Hirata, and he'll distribute them."

Finally. A smile crept onto Ryuen's face.

The next day at noon, Ryuen's Class C was the first to arrive at Class D. Then Class B came—Ichinose and Kanzaki, whom Kamio Tatsuya had met before. The person from Class A was a boy with a golden ponytail, looking a bit slackerish. As for Class D, almost everyone was there. Hirata was already waiting at the classroom door. Though he didn't fully agree with this approach, for the sake of Class D students enjoying a happy campus life, he decided to follow the anonymous person's orders and accept the points from other classes.

"Didn't expect Class A to send you, Hashimoto."

Ryuen saw him and greeted him with a cold smile.

"Haha, I'm just here on the Princess's orders to gather intel. By the way, are you really going to hand over the points, Ryuen?" The boy called Hashimoto laughed it off.

Tch. As expected of an upper-class. In just a month, even students from other classes knew them. Unlike Kamio Tatsuya, who couldn't even remember all of Class D's names. That was the gap!

Chapter 42: Ryuen: Class D, Go Take Down Class A

"Looks like Class A isn't planning to pay. Sakayanagi and Katsuragi have a disagreement?" Hearing Hashimoto's words, Ryuen immediately guessed Class A's situation.

Hashimoto gave a wry smile, acknowledging the fact.

"Hey, Hirata. Take out your phone."

Hirata complied, and the transaction was completed quickly. Hirata successfully received 400,000 points from Ryuen. Ryuen did this mainly to see how the school would react if the person behind Class D actually obtained points this way. Right, his goal was the same as Kamio Tatsuya's—testing the school's limits. Only, Kamio Tatsuya was acting directly, while Ryuen was going with the flow.

"I've received the 400,000 Private Points. I'll keep Class D's students in check."

Ryuen snorted, a cold smile on his face, then turned his gaze to Class B.

"What about Class B?"

Hearing this, the girl named Ichinose thought for a moment, then stepped forward.

"I don't know why you handed over the points so obediently, Ryuen, but I feel like if I don't hand them over here, something troublesome might happen."

Seeing Ichinose readily pull out her phone, Hirata's face twisted with conflict.

If taking Ryuen's points felt somewhat justified, taking points from Ichinose was deeply embarrassing.

After all, Ichinose's amiability was well-known throughout the first year; she was friendly to everyone.

So Hirata accepted the money with great reluctance, his face full of awkwardness.

What are you so awkward about? It's not like you're the one pulling the strings behind the scenes.

Let me say it again: Class D is truly a bunch of useless mud that can't be propped up against a wall.

Kamio Tatsuya would bet that if Class C's class points were zeroed out, Ryuen wouldn't hesitate to use this extortion scheme, or even go further—he'd drag all three classes down in mutual destruction.

Yet these idiots in Class D are still hemming and hawing over taking the money.

Trash!

"You're quite cautious, Ichinose," Ryuen sneered, then looked at Hashimoto. "So Class A is definitely not going to fork over those four hundred thousand points?"

"That's right. Katsuragi doesn't agree to pay protection money to Class D. He believes that even if we Class A students are harassed, we won't do anything unbecoming of our status."

Hashimoto bluntly stated Katsuragi's view, as if to say: If you've got the guts, come at me fair and square!

"In that case, it's settled." A sinister grin spread across Ryuen's face. "Hey, Hirata, I want to hire Class D with points."

Hire?

Hirata was stunned. Hire them for what?

"I'm hiring Class D students to harass Class A students. For every class point deducted from Class A, I'll give you ten thousand private points."

The moment Ryuen said this, Hashimoto went numb.

At the same time, his admiration for Sakayanagi deepened.

Because before coming here, she had told him this might happen—and now it actually had.

Hirata was also dumbfounded. You can do that?

"Of course, this offer applies to everyone in Class D. If a Class D student completes my commission alone, I'll still pay."

As Ryuen's words fell, several Class D students looked eager.

All they had to do was provoke Class A students into making mistakes. Deduct a hundred of their points, and that's a million private points!

That was a fortune!

Spend frugally, and it could last three years!

Seeing Hirata's stunned face, Ryuen began to tempt him. "There's nothing wrong with this, is there? Class A is your enemy too. There's no need to play fair against an enemy. A little trickery isn't so bad, right?"

Hearing Ryuen's words, Ichinose was also startled.

She hadn't expected Ryuen to pull a move like this.

Once this hiring scheme was out, even if Hirata could restrain most people, this was Class D—a gathering of plenty of problem children.

For money, someone might actually do it. There was already a precedent.

If someone took the commission, even if Class B students could hold back, they'd still be heavily affected, especially with the midterm exams coming up.

If someone got harassed, their revision suffered, they failed the exam, and got expelled, Ichinose would feel it was her fault.

So in that moment, Ichinose felt those forty thousand points were well spent. Since Class D had taken the money, they couldn't back out—otherwise, it would be fraud, and the school would deal with them.

Then the anonymous mastermind behind it all would be caught and dragged out for a warning.

At this point, Kamio Tatsuya could consider his work done.

Now, whether Hirata agreed or not no longer mattered.

Ryuen's point temptation was right there. Someone would always be willing to take the risk for points.

The only Class A member present, Hashimoto, was already sweating.

Princess, why do you have to guess so accurately?

But since you guessed it, you must have a way to deal with it, right?

A way?

No way at all.

Why is an open scheme called an open scheme? Because it's almost impossible to counter—that's why it's an open scheme.

Either pay up or get messed with. Two choices, no alternatives.

Unless you flip the table, it's hard to avoid.

"Please wait!" Hashimoto couldn't sit still anymore. "Let me go back and discuss this with my classmates. I'll give Class D an answer before school ends today."

Hashimoto stepped forward, deciding to buy some time.

Whether Class A intended to pay or not, he needed to let Sakayanagi and Katsuragi know the current situation, then plan from there.

"Alright, I understand."

Hirata nodded, temporarily agreeing.

"Then you'd better hurry up. Class D's friends might not be able to wait that long." Ryuen's words carried an implicit hint, urging Class D students to act quickly.

As long as they made a move that cost Class A some Class Points, he was willing to pay for it.

Hashimoto turned and left swiftly, needing to report the current situation to Classmate Sakayanagi.

After Hashimoto left, Class D gradually dispersed as well. Kamio Tatsuya, having watched the show, headed toward the school cafeteria.

[That anonymous post was yours, wasn't it, Kamio?]

Sitting in a corner of the cafeteria, Kamio Tatsuya stared at the message Sakayanagi had sent to his phone, a wry expression on his face.

This guy's got some skills, actually figuring out it was me.

But she's not just guessing like Horikita, is she?

[Don't joke around. I'm not short on that many points.]

[Is that so? Then I'll assume I guessed wrong. If it were you, I'd like to discuss a business deal with you.]

Business deal!

Seeing that word, Kamio Tatsuya's expression twisted slightly before he finally replied.

[Then you've definitely got the wrong person.]

"Is that so? Then why did Kamio's face look so conflicted just now?"

Hearing the voice sound from in front of him, Kamio Tatsuya's face instantly stiffened.

Damn, I've been caught in person!

I was too focused and didn't notice someone had snuck up on me.

When he looked up, Kamio Tatsuya's face had already shifted to a puzzled expression.

"Conflicted? What conflicted? Classmate Sakayanagi, you weren't talking to me just now, were you?"