A Deal with Kushida Kikyo

Kazehara Tetsu was currently eating ice cream at a dessert shop.

He did enjoy sweets, but he wasn't on a date with anyone.

Right now, he was secretly observing someone.

Kushida Kikyo.

After pooling fifteen thousand points with Ichinose Honami to buy the past papers, he had been waiting for an opportunity.

Fifteen thousand points for past papers bought a guarantee that would let Class B rest easy, and... a key to pry open the whole of Class D.

From any angle, this deal was incredibly advantageous.

Ichinose Honami was a kind, idealistic leader.

Kazehara Tetsu knew perfectly well that once she got these exam questions, she would share them with everyone in Class B for free, one hundred percent, to strengthen class unity.

That wasn't part of his calculation, but it didn't matter. His gaze was always fixed on Class D.

A class that had already hit zero points meant they had no room for error.

And a set of "past papers" that could save the entire class's fate—how tempting would that be to them?

Tempting enough to make them willingly hand over the last of their personal savings.

He needed an intermediary.

Someone with enough influence in Class D to convince everyone to pool their funds, someone "useful" enough.

Hirata Yosuke was a decent choice.

He had high prestige in the class, was upright, and had a strong sense of responsibility.

But when dealing with certain issues, unnecessary suspicion might create obstacles.

So, only one choice remained.

That girl who showed the world an angelic face, craved everyone's love and approval, but hid another side in her inner heart.

Kushida Kikyo.

The perfect candidate.

She was chatting and laughing with a few girls from Class D, wearing that warm, sunny smile.

Her presence seemed to brighten the air around her.

They were sitting at a table not far from Kazehara Tetsu, discussing the various desserts on the menu.

"Ah, the strawberry parfait looks so good!"

"This matcha mille crepe seems nice too..."

Kazehara Tetsu didn't approach immediately.

He just quietly ate his ice cream, his gaze occasionally sweeping over them, like an ordinary student killing time.

A few minutes later, when the ice cream in front of him was almost gone, he stood up, picked up his empty bowl, and walked toward the counter.

His route happened to pass by Kushida's table.

"Oh, isn't this Kazehara from Class A?"

As he walked by, Kushida Kikyo spoke up as if she had just noticed him.

"What a coincidence, you're here eating too."

"Kushida..."

Kazehara Tetsu stopped, a polite smile appearing on his face. "You know me?"

"Of course I know you, Kazehara!" Kushida Kikyo nodded in response.

A girl next to Kushida chimed in, "Kazehara is ranked third on the school forum's 'Handsome Guy Ranking'!"

This topic immediately got the girls chitter-chattering.

Kushida Kikyo smiled. She was well-versed in all the forum gossip, and it was through these channels that she had memorized the faces and names of almost every slightly famous student in the grade.

A helpless smile crossed Kazehara Tetsu's face. "I didn't expect someone like me to be on a list like that."

He didn't leave right away but stood there, as if waiting for their gossipy enthusiasm to die down.

"Kazehara."

Kushida Kikyo seized the moment to speak again, her voice tinged with curiosity. "I heard you got the only perfect score on the quiz. That's amazing! Everyone in our class is still worried about the midterm exam."

Casually, she steered the conversation toward "exams" and cleverly highlighted her class's "predicament" to bridge the gap with this "top student."

"Worried?"

Kazehara Tetsu's gaze swept over her, then over the girls beside her. "I do have some news that might make Class D a little less worried. I wonder... if Kushida would be interested in hearing it?"

His words successfully piqued everyone's curiosity.

Kushida Kikyo's face lit up with an expectant expression. "Eh? What news? If it can help everyone, of course I want to hear it!"

Kazehara Tetsu glanced around, then lowered his voice. "It's not convenient to talk here. How about this—you all keep eating, and I'll have a private word with Kushida first."

"Sure, Kagihara, let's go!"

Kushida Kikyo kept her smile steady as she reassured her equally curious classmates, saying she'd be back soon.

Five minutes later, they found a row of secluded benches behind the shopping mall, where few people passed by.

"So, Kagihara, what's the news?"

Kazehara Tetsu didn't answer directly. He pulled out his phone, opened a file, and held the screen in front of her.

On the display was a dense array of questions and answers.

It was exactly that—the past papers from last year's midterm exam, which he'd just bought from a senior.

"This is...?" Kushida Kikyo's pupils contracted slightly.

Kazehara Tetsu took back his phone. "The full set of last year's midterm exam papers for all subjects. I paid a certain 'price' to get them from a reliable source."

For a moment, Kushida Kikyo's breath caught. She immediately realized the value of this item.

"...Why are you showing me this?" Her voice carried a hint of uncertainty for the first time.

Kazehara Tetsu tilted his head, meeting her eyes with a sincere tone. "Of course, I have my own motives, but more than that, I sympathize with the situation of Class D. So I thought, if I handed this to you, it might realize its greatest value."

"But... something this precious, why would you..."

"It's not free, of course."

Kazehara Tetsu cut her off. "I sympathize with Class D's predicament, but I'm not that kind of selfless philanthropist. I paid a price, so I naturally need something in return. This material... bundled price, fifty thousand points."

Kazehara Tetsu didn't expect to set the price too high.

First, Class D couldn't afford it right now. Second, since Kushida Kikyo already knew these were last year's past papers, she could go find other seniors to see if there were cheaper options.

"Fifty thousand?!" Even so, Kushida Kikyo's voice faltered.

Having received zero Personal Points after the first month, she'd given most of her points to help her classmates. She simply couldn't afford that number.

"Kagihara... I don't have that many points..." A troubled expression crossed her face.