Good Person Card? Give it to me!

Upon hearing Makoto's statement, the eyes of Ayanokoji, which had always been as still as an ancient well, finally rippled for the first time.

"Just how much... do you know about me?"

Even if he wanted to play dumb, he could no longer keep up the act. The other party had bluntly dragged out the secret hidden in the deepest part of his heart.

Although he didn't know if the White Room had been fully exposed, it felt like it was close enough.

This feeling was not pleasant.

"I just want to make a deal with you."

Facing Ayanokoji's question, Makoto finally revealed the purpose of his visit.

"Answer my question first."

Ayanokoji did not buy it. He stepped slightly closer to Makoto, maintaining a subtle distance.

At this distance, he would be able to react to any attack from the other party, yet one more step forward would put the other party within his own striking range.

It was a distance that allowed for both offense and defense.

He had already discovered the reason why the other party dared to make a move here—

There were no surveillance cameras.

"Even though there are no cameras here, are you sure you want to lay a hand on me?"

Makoto appeared relaxed on the surface, but in reality, his muscles were already slightly tensed. If anything went wrong, he would turn and bolt.

He would run straight to a surveillance camera and see if the other guy still dared to fight.

"So, what's the answer?"

"The White Room, right?"

Upon hearing this, Ayanokoji finally withdrew his offensive stance.

The fact that the other party had initiated contact while knowing this was enough to demonstrate his sincerity.

"So, what kind of deal do you want to make with me?"

With his cards already on the table, the so-called deal the other party had just proposed was worth considering.

"You assist me over the next three years, and I will be responsible for maintaining your normal school life. How about that?"

In Makoto's view, this was a very cost-effective bargain for Ayanokoji.

"Do you think I would trust you?"

Ayanokoji retorted. He couldn't understand where the other party got the confidence that he would agree to this deal.

"Your homeroom teacher must have threatened you today, right?"

This was a fact. Chabashira Sae had long been eyeing the existence known as Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, hoping the latter could lead the class to climb to Class A and help her sit on the throne of the Class A homeroom teacher.

"Did you tell her about me?"

Ayanokoji suspected Makoto was the informant. He hated people who tattled the most (not really).

"How could that be? She was just guessing blindly. Don't you think scoring exactly 50 points on every exam is too deliberate? Isn't that just blatantly telling your homeroom teacher, 'I have secrets, come investigate me'?"

"...I will consider your proposal carefully."

Ayanokoji understood that the other party wasn't lying. He had indeed been called to the office today for that very reason, and was even forced to listen to Chabashira-sensei's veiled criticisms in the breakroom.

This had even caused Horikita Suzune to truly take notice of him for the first time. He wanted to run, but he couldn't get away.

He found it strange that the other party knew about the homeroom teacher calling him in today; he assumed it must have been leaked by the Class B homeroom teacher.

As for the specific scores, it wasn't difficult to find that out; it wasn't exactly high-level intelligence.

But what he truly found strange was the other party's attitude. It didn't seem like he was here to threaten him, but rather... to help him?

"Mm, take your time to think about it. I'll be here whenever you're ready."

The "consideration" mentioned here was not a euphemism for a refusal. Makoto felt that Ayanokoji just needed some time to weigh the pros and cons.

"Then I'll head back. Thanks for the hot milk."

Before leaving, Ayanokoji didn't forget to thank Makoto.

"Don't mention it. I'll treat you to one every day from now on."

If sending a bottle of hot milk every day could close the distance with a girl he liked, he imagined countless boys would choose to do the same.

Of course, Ayanokoji was not a girl, and he didn't like the other party.

He meant that kind of romantic liking... or perhaps man-to-man...? In any case, there was no such emotion involved.

After parting ways with Ayanokoji, Makoto followed him back to the dormitory building.

"How did you get in?"

Opening his dormitory door, Makoto looked at Kushida before him, feeling extremely puzzled. How could she possibly have the key to his room? This wasn't scientific. Would Honami agree to something like this?

"I just copied it from the magnetic card Honami has, of course. It was surprisingly simple, actually. I just had to put it back before she noticed."

Kushida said it nonchalantly, as if she weren't describing an act that amounted to a crime.

"Aren't you afraid of destroying the trust between you and Honami?"

Makoto felt that this was an act of burning through trust; once Honami discovered it, it was highly likely that Kushida would no longer be able to maintain a friendship with her.

Thinking about it this way, it seemed like he was in quite a dangerous position himself...

If he didn't tell Honami the fact that Kushida had appeared at his dormitory tonight...

Makoto hurriedly shook his head, not daring to think, absolutely not daring to think...

"That kind of thing doesn't matter at all. Tell me, what did you just go out for?"

Kushida pressed her body tightly against Makoto, ensuring he could smell the delicate fragrance on her.

This was her trump card, and she felt it was bound to be effective.

"What are you trying to do?"

Makoto took a step back to create some distance. How dare this wicked woman try to corrupt his state of mind? He firmly suppressed his body's instinctive reaction.

"I want to understand Makoto more deeply. Is that not allowed?"

Kushida's acting skills were already quite profound; even when facing talents like Ike and Yamauchi, or even Horikita Suzune, she could manage to reveal not a shred of her true inner thoughts.

At this moment, her large eyes seemed to shimmer with light, and her cheeks flushed with just the right amount of redness, making her look exactly like a young girl in the throes of first love.

"And then what? What do you want to do once you understand me?"

However, Makoto did not fall for it. The woman before him was the infamous two-faced girl; her current appearance was absolutely not to be trusted.

It was all acting, devoid of any real emotion.

"Tch."

Kushida dropped her exaggerated performance and kicked at the air with a hint of irritation.

"I'm asking you, do you really have no other thoughts about me?"

"Why would I? Is Honami not pretty enough, or is the soft rice not delicious enough?"

Makoto asked back, looking puzzled.

"Are you saying you're a good person, then?"

Kushida glared at Makoto with a fierce look, the delicate and tender demeanor from just a moment ago completely gone.

"I have always been a good person."

Makoto nodded, looking completely composed.

"So? You aren't going to use my true face to threaten me into betraying the class?"

Kushida wore a mocking smile; she felt that the other party was about to show his... true colors.

"Threatening a girl into betraying her class—that is something I cannot do."

Makoto put on an expression of righteous indignation. He already had Ayanokoji, so what did he need Kushida for? He would just let the former make good use of the latter.

He wanted to be a good person.