Strange Request

"Wait! If that's the case, why did you buy the exam questions? Why did you even suggest buying points in the first place? Those aren't things ordinary students would do, are they?"

"Because..."

"Because someone had already paid you, right? I'm not wrong, am I, Shinjo?"

Shinjo nodded, admitting that Ayanokōji's guess was correct.

"You!"

Horikita Suzune was shaken.

In her eyes, Shinjo was an exceptionally clever person, with the kind of intelligence she couldn't learn from books. It was exactly the strength she needed right now!

Even though he had refused to join her Ascension Plan, she had thought he was someone who cared about his friends, someone who would step forward and turn the tide when the class needed him. That had erased all the disappointment she'd felt at his refusal.

Someone like him had earned her older brother's approval. No, she should say that only someone like him was worthy of her brother's approval. That was why her brother had said she still had a long way to go.

(Horikita Manabu: That's not what I meant.)

But only now did she realize how completely wrong she'd been.

What drove Shintō Katsuya forward wasn't friendship. It was... profit.

"You're not telling me you can't accept that? I'm part of Class D, after all. At the very least, I can guarantee I won't take any requests to frame Class D, and I'll never betray this class."

"Horikita just thinks the contrast is a little too stark..."

"It can't be helped. I'm just that kind of self-interested person... Besides, people like me ought to be everywhere at this school, right? People like Kushida or Hirata are the exceptions."

Ayanokōji nodded. (The timeline had changed somewhat, so he hadn't seen Kushida's dark side here. He'd only sensed that she might be two-faced, but he had no proof.)

Speaking of self-interested people, Horikita was one herself.

Every man for himself.

Fortunately, Horikita and Shinjo weren't that close to begin with, so she only needed a little while to return to normal.

"Then, Shinjo, am I to understand that if I want you to help Sudō, I'll have to offer you something in return?"

"Heh, I'm glad you got into the swing of things so quickly. In fact, I have a choice for you regarding this matter."

"First, if you only want me to help Sudō, you don't need to place a request. I told you, I'll do my part for the class. But if you want me to help Sudō escape punishment, that's undoubtedly much harder, so you'll have to place a request."

Horikita nodded. She finally understood the difference between the Yorozuya and Shinjo.

The Yorozuya was like Shinjo at full capacity: it could do more, but it was expensive.

Shinjo himself was like a defective version: he could do only so much, but he was free.

"I understand... Then, if I request your help here to get Sudō off the hook, can you really do it?"

"Hahaha! The first rule of the Yorozuya is that we don't do things we can't. So if I accept a request, it's within my capabilities. But right now, it won't be easy, so the fee won't come cheap!"

"I see. Ayanokōji, let's go."

Horikita called to Ayanokōji. Before leaving, she left Shinjo with one last remark:

"I hope I never have to ask you for help."

Who wanted to spend money unless they were desperate? Even without Shinjo, she still had Ayanokōji!

There was still some time before next Tuesday. As long as she resolved things before then, she wouldn't need to go begging to the Yorozuya.

"Then I wish you the best of luck."

Two days later, the Yorozuya received a very strange request.

"Hey, Katsuya! Look at this request letter. It doesn't say what class the sender is in, and they didn't even write their name!"

Shinjo, who had been resting with his eyes closed, gave a dismissive look.

"Then ignore it. It might just be some kind of prank letter."

"But if that's the case, why would the request itself be so strange? It says there's a weird clerk at the electronics shop who always gives girls a really unsettling look, and asks us to investigate."

Shinjo slowly opened his eyes. Wouldn't something like this usually be brought to the Student Council? Even if Horikita Manabu didn't feel like handling it, he should have sent over an official request.

Besides, the sender didn't seem to want anyone to know who they were.

They were probably a student... Otherwise, they wouldn't need to be so roundabout. And they were very likely a girl.

"No contact information, no name or class, just a request to investigate. So where are we supposed to collect our payment?"

"B-but if there really is a clerk like that, it would be terrible for all the girls at the school, wouldn't it?"

Karuizawa looked a little scared.

"That's true, but doing something with no benefit is really boring. How about we call Horikita Manabu and have him send someone to deal with it?"

Shinjo did as he said. He reported the strange request letter to Horikita Manabu, but the hardworking Student Council President immediately classified it as an official request and ordered the Yorozuya to uncover the truth within a day.

"Hey! He's totally passing the buck, isn't he?!"

Official requests couldn't be refused. And as the first request of the week, this one didn't even require a fee.

"This might actually be a good thing! We could be getting rid of a menace to the school!"

Karuizawa pumped her little fist. After the painful experiences she'd gone through in the past, she wished there were heroes of justice around at all times.

"I still don't feel very motivated."

"Then... how about I treat you to pudding?"

Shinjo slowly sat up from the beanbag chair. As he picked up his coat, he grumbled,

"Karuizawa, do you think I'm that easy to buy?"

"Who knows... Knowing you, if I promised to buy you a Brunch Cake, you'd probably even agree to change someone's foot bathwater."

"I'd never betray my principles for something as trivial as a Brunch Cake!"

[Then you should've said no, you idiot!!]

Before he knew it, Shinjo had reached the door.

"So, you mean it?"

"Huh? You're really going to change my foot bathwater?!"

Karuizawa turned red as usual. She knew she blushed easily around him, but she couldn't help testing his reaction.

But what was this supposed to mean?

Does he like me? Does he like my feet? Compared to Brunch Cake, I don't stand a chance!!!

"Don't mess around. I meant pudding."

[If you want me to change your foot bathwater, it'll take at least two Brunch Cakes... No! I'm the great underground Yorozuya! But... if it's Brunch Cake...]

As he thought, Shinjo glanced unconsciously at Karuizawa's feet...

But in the blink of an eye, she had tucked them beneath the table.

"Hey! You were just sneaking a look, weren't you?!"

"Huh? How strange~"

"Playing dumb won't work!!!"