A Deal (Part One)

Itozawa faced Sakagami-sensei, his gaze steady and unwavering. He knew this negotiation would be a battle of wits and will.

"Sakagami-sensei, we can help the students in Class C." Itozawa's voice was calm, but filled with unquestionable confidence.

Sakagami-sensei gave a cold laugh, clear doubt in his eyes. "Do you really have that kind of ability?"

Itozawa smiled faintly. "We were able to get Yasuda-sensei to agree to go easy on us. Naturally, we can get him to agree to do the same for Class C."

It sounded a little convoluted, but everyone knew the two meanings of "go easy."

"All right, then I..."

Sakagami-sensei was about to agree, but Itozawa held up a hand to stop him.

His expression was half-amused. "Sakagami-sensei, surely you don't expect to get such a great deal from us for free?"

Sakagami's brows furrowed slightly, irritation showing on his face. "What do you mean? You were the one who proposed a deal. Now you're pushing your luck. Do you even still want to pass the assessment?"

Itozawa let out a cold laugh, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. "From Class C's assessment, we can tell the teachers don't have much say in the matter. What matters more is each student's individual ability. That makes Class B's assessment seem strange."

He paused, then continued, "But if you look at it another way, it all makes sense if the school's assessments are actually meant to test the teachers."

Sakagami-sensei's expression shifted slightly, surprise flashing in his eyes. Clearly, he hadn't expected Itozawa to see through the true nature of the assessment so quickly.

Seeing Sakagami-sensei's reaction, Itozawa knew his guess had been right. He continued, "Sakagami-sensei, we can help you get a good result in the assessment, but you'll have to give us some tangible help in return."

Sakagami-sensei fell silent for a moment, weighing his options.

He knew he really did need the students' help to improve his assessment results.

"All right, Itozawa. You win," Sakagami-sensei finally said, his voice carrying a hint of resignation. "Tell me, what do you need me to do?"

A victorious smile appeared on Itozawa's face. He knew they had gained the upper hand in the negotiation.

Only after Sakagami-sensei had given in did their negotiation truly move on to the specifics.

Itozawa began laying out his terms. "First, we want to make sure we finish the assessment before Class C." His sharp gaze met Sakagami-sensei's as he watched for a reaction.

Sakagami-sensei's expression darkened slightly, making Itozawa even more certain of his suspicions: Sakagami-sensei had been using the shadows to keep in contact with Class C's students all along.

He had known about the bet between Itozawa and Ryuen Kakeru from the very beginning. He might even have been there when they made it, and perhaps he had been the one to convince Ryuen Kakeru to agree.

Itozawa silently sneered. He'd thought he had cleverly manipulated Ryuen Kakeru, but in reality, Sakagami-sensei had already planned everything out.

Ignoring Sakagami-sensei's sour expression, Itozawa continued with his second condition. "Next, I want you to tell us what the students will be facing in the next assessment. The other teachers might refuse to tell us, or be unable to, but it shouldn't be difficult for you."

He gave a meaningful glance at the heap of shadows on the ground. As long as Sakagami-sensei used the shadows to communicate with others, the school shouldn't find out. Otherwise, with the way he was leaking information, the school would have punished him long ago.

Sakagami-sensei's expression was grim, but he quickly agreed. Itozawa continued, "The third condition..."

Sakagami-sensei's face turned completely dark. "Don't push your luck." His voice held a note of menace. "We can go down together. Don't think you'll get off easy."

Itozawa's expression remained neutral as he calmly replied, "Just one last condition."

Only then did Sakagami-sensei manage to regain his composure. He asked coldly, "What condition?"

Itozawa answered, "Just tell us what the assessments are for all four classes. I'm sure you can do that."

Sakagami-sensei's face was dark as he replied icily, "You already know what Class B and Class C are being assessed on, so there's no need for me to repeat that. Class A's assessment is to figure out the abilities of all four homeroom teachers. The students in Class D are either too weak or too dangerous, so they aren't allowed to assess the teachers. Their only task is to figure out their own abilities."

Itozawa gave a cold laugh, his words laced with mockery. "The school really doesn't trust you, Sakagami-sensei. Three of the assessments involve you. Looks like the school knows about what you've been doing, too."

Sakagami-sensei's expression darkened further. "If that arrogant Ryuen Kakeru hadn't completely ignored my warning, I wouldn't be in such a mess now."

Itozawa chuckled. "So the classes' performance affects their homeroom teachers, too."

He hadn't expected to be tricked into revealing information. His face darkened further. "If you've finished running your mouth, you can get lost. As for the assessment, I'll show up once they get to the swimming pool."

Itozawa knew the negotiation had achieved its purpose.

He stood up and nodded. "Then it's settled, Sakagami-sensei. We'll wait for you at the swimming pool."

Itozawa and the students of Class B quickly made their way to the swimming pool to meet Yasuda-sensei. Just as they'd expected, Sakagami-sensei emerged from the shadows right on time, surprising Yasuda-sensei. He'd still been wondering whether he needed to step in and help the students of Class B, but it seemed they no longer needed his help.

With Sakagami-sensei watching, Yasuda-sensei quickly drained the pool. His movements were swift and efficient, showing that he had excellent control over water. When he was done, Yasuda-sensei left without a word, but before he went, he gave Sakagami-sensei a meaningful look. There was a hint of confusion in his eyes, while Itozawa understood that Sakagami-sensei had no intention of leaving behind any evidence.

Itozawa took the opportunity to pull Yasuda-sensei aside and quietly ask him to go a little easy on the students of Class C. He discreetly pointed at the shadows on the ground, implying that this was Sakagami-sensei's request. Itozawa didn't intend to let Sakagami-sensei remain completely uninvolved; he needed to make sure Sakagami-sensei was part of this, too.

Yasuda-sensei immediately understood what Itozawa meant and readily agreed. After all, the students of Class B had just helped him solve a difficult problem, so giving them a little leeway was only natural. He nodded to Itozawa to show he'd do as asked.

Afterward, Itozawa said goodbye to the students of Class B and returned to the dormitory. He stared at the shadows in his room, took a deep breath, and then called out, "Come out."