Tenyo Yuyuki was a hedonist. After more than a decade of indulging himself, he could no longer stand a simple life. The little over ten thousand Private Points he had left couldn't satisfy his desires.
The next day, after turning down invitations from Matsushita Chiaki and the others, Yeyue went alone to the Third Year area.
Still, Yeyue kept in touch to some extent with everyone whose contact information he had exchanged, so he didn't give Matsushita and the others the impression that he was difficult to get along with.
At Sakurajima, seniority was taken very seriously. Underclassmen had to use honorific language with their seniors, and Yeyue's presence drew many curious looks.
It was in this atmosphere that Yeyue arrived at Third Year C Class.
"Who are you looking for?"
"Who's your class leader?"
Yeyue asked with a smile, neither showing respect nor looking down on the other man. He didn't seem to mind.
"I'm Mizuno Yasuo, the C Class leader. What do you want?"
Mizuno Yasuo sounded suspicious, and he seemed a little low on energy as he replied.
"First Year D Class. Tenyo Yuyuki."
At Sakurajima, it was basic etiquette to give your name in return when someone introduced themselves. Yeyue spoke with an amused air.
"I know how the Third Years are doing. Third Year C Class is currently a few Class Points behind A Class, right?"
"Are you here looking for trouble, you bastard?" Mizuno Yasuo snapped, sneering. "Even so, a defective product from D Class like you has no right to mock us."
"I don't have the time to come to the Third Year area and do something pointless."
"Then what are you here for? Don't tell me you came to help us Promote to A Class. Don't make me laugh, you nobody from D Class."
Mizuno Yasuo sneered, clearly looking down on the D Class label.
"I'm here to make a deal with you."
Yeyue gave him a long, meaningful look and said teasingly, "You'll graduate in another year, senpai. At this rate, there's no way you'll make it to A Class. Have you considered exchanging your Private Points for cash?"
"What do you mean?"
"If you transfer your Private Points to me, you can get twice that amount in cash when you leave school. Don't you think that's an appealing offer?"
Mizuno Yasuo's eyes widened in disbelief. Yeyue's words had clearly taken him by surprise. He'd been at this school for three years and had never encountered an offer like this.
But Yeyue was confident he'd agree.
Things were different for Third Year A Class and B Class.
C Class and D Class had such a huge gap in Class Points that they'd all but lost their chance to compete for A Class.
But A Class and B Class—
They still had a chance to Promote to A Class and fulfill their dreams. This strategy could only work with C and D Classes.
"What kind of joke is this?" Mizuno Yasuo quickly recovered and scoffed. "It's certainly an appealing offer, but do you know how many Private Points I have? How could a first-year student like you possibly have that much money?"
"Look up the name Tenyo Yuyuki."
Although the school prohibited students from posting on outside forums, it didn't prevent them from accessing information.
Otherwise, the students would be completely cut off from society after graduating, and the school would lose its purpose.
Mizuno Yasuo looked over the Student ID in his hands, then nodded as if he understood.
"I see. I don't have to worry about you being short on money, then."
He seemed genuinely tempted, and Yeyue waited for his reply.
Mizuno Yasuo ventured, "Twice as much isn't enough. You may have just started school and not know this yet, but Private Points are incredibly important here."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I can't give you the details, but trust me. When things happen in the future, Private Points will be your most important weapon."
"Then how much do you want?"
Yeyue furrowed his brow.
He wasn't annoyed by the other man's greed; he was just surprised that the school had accounted for even this.
Private Points could have a huge impact on Special Exams, but the Third Years couldn't even explain why. If the school found out they'd broken the rules, they'd probably be expelled.
"Three times as much. How does that sound?" Mizuno Yasuo ventured.
"Fine."
The two quickly exchanged contact information. Yeyue didn't care about money. Any problem that could be solved with money wasn't a problem.
He just hadn't expected Mizuno Yasuo to be so timid. After all that talk, he'd only asked for three times as much.
Yeyue raised an eyebrow. "How many points does your C Class have now?"
"I can't tell you that." Mizuno Yasuo shook his head. "As for the points, until graduation, our C Class can give you a certain amount of Private Points each month. I hope you understand."
"No problem."
Yeyue smiled and nodded.
It might not seem like much, but this was probably the limit C Class could afford.
There was still a year until graduation. Even without a chance to Promote to A Class, C Class still had to guard against a comeback by D Class.
390,000 Private Points.
That was the most C Class could spare while maintaining its standard of living and avoiding a serious loss in fighting strength due to a shortage of Private Points.
The only chance to exchange a large amount of Private Points for cash would come in the final month before graduation.
"You're having quite an interesting conversation!"
Just then, Kouenji from First Year D Class appeared behind Yeyue and looked at Mizuno Yasuo. "Let me join the deal. I'll offer five times the price!"
Without paying the slightest heed to anyone else, Kouenji sauntered up to Mizuno Yasuo.
"Kouenji, what are you doing here?" Yeyue asked with a smile, glancing over at him.
He wasn't surprised at all that Kouenji had appeared in the Third Year area.
In the Original Work,
Kouenji had planned to use his status as the heir to the Kouenji Zaibatsu to obtain Private Points, only to be stopped by Miyabi Nagumo of Second Year A Class.
"Only a luxurious lifestyle is fit for someone as perfect as me."
Kouenji pulled an expensive hand mirror from his pocket and gazed at his reflection, utterly entranced.
He was clearly causing trouble for Yeyue, but seemed completely unaware of it.
"Besides..."
He brushed his bangs aside and glanced at Mizuno Yasuo. "My offer should be more appealing to him."
"Ten times," Yeyue said coolly, also glancing at Mizuno Yasuo. "I won't raise my offer again after this. Think it over: honor your agreement with me, or choose Kouenji."
Money was nothing more than a number to Yeyue, but there was no need to keep competing with Kouenji.
Though it was only a verbal agreement, it could still restrain Mizuno Yasuo's actions. Yeyue wasn't accusing him of anything, so he wouldn't feel resentful. Otherwise, word would spread, and the Third Years would label him someone who didn't keep his promises.
More importantly, this would let Yeyue judge Mizuno Yasuo's character.
His gaze shifted between Kouenji and Yeyue. There was no question that Yeyue inspired more trust than Kouenji did on looks alone. Mizuno Yasuo hesitated for a long time before answering.
"Even if you hadn't raised the price, I would've gone through with the deal with you."
"Then let's stick to three times the price. You don't have a problem with that, do you?" Yeyue said with amusement.
"Of course not."
To Yeyue's surprise, Mizuno Yasuo didn't hesitate at all.
Seeing how things had turned out,
Kouenji didn't get angry. He simply put away his mirror and left without saying goodbye.
He hadn't come all this way just to annoy Yeyue.
On the contrary,
he was certain that Yeyue had sought out upperclassmen to make a deal largely to target him.
The fact that they were negotiating so openly at the entrance to Third Year C Class was the clearest proof.
Kouenji understood that too.
Although the Tenmyouin Zaibatsu and the Kouenji Zaibatsu were both among Sakurajima's most powerful conglomerates, Yeyue had displayed extraordinary business talent since childhood.
At just five years old, he had started serializing manga and founded his own publishing house.
Leveraging the Tenmyouin Zaibatsu's status, he had built a group covering manga, light novels, and anime production and distribution, establishing Nijigen as Sakurajima's third major pillar industry.
Most importantly,
although Yeyue officially held only the title of vice president, anyone with influence knew he was the one who controlled the company. It was his private business.
Even as the only son of the Kouenji Zaibatsu, Kouenji couldn't compete with Yeyue in wealth.
Their available funds weren't even in the same league.
But that wasn't important.
Money could no longer truly determine a zaibatsu's standing. No matter how wealthy an entertainment company became, it still wouldn't compare.
What really mattered was energy, finance, industry, and political power.
Only when Yeyue truly inherited the Tenmyouin Zaibatsu would he be among Sakurajima's elite.
"Let's make the transfer."
Yeyue gave Mizuno Yasuo a long, meaningful look and waited for him to send the points.
Though he was only in C Class, Mizuno Yasuo was surprisingly capable.
He surely had more than 390,000 Private Points, but he hadn't let the prospect of a huge cash payout cloud his judgment. His willingness to trade only this much showed he had the sense of responsibility expected of a class leader.
He was greedy, but knew when to stop. Once he'd made his choice, he stuck to it, and he didn't make Yeyue uncomfortable. He knew when to give up a small gain.
He was probably hoping to get something else from Yeyue, something Kouenji couldn't offer.
Anyone who managed to survive three years at this school would have grown tremendously, even if they were in C Class.
[Private Points: 403263]
The transfer came through quickly, and Mizuno Yasuo didn't ask for a contract or any kind of guarantee.
A very smart decision.
After learning Yeyue's identity,
Mizuno Yasuo's attitude had clearly changed, though he hadn't shown it on the surface.
After they exchanged a few pleasantries, Yeyue turned to leave—and noticed two figures approaching from a distance.
But what caught his attention more was the person who'd been watching from the shadows. From the very beginning, he'd occasionally felt that unpleasant gaze..
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