Nanyun, Send Money

After class, Kushida chattered incessantly as she walked back to the classroom surrounding Bai Ye:

"Wow, you were so cool! To think you could actually defeat that Vice President... I've heard so much about how strong he is."

Bai Ye's expression wasn't nearly as happy: "Winning doesn't really change anything. How about you let me give you a hug to cheer me up?"

"How could I do that... Jingu-kun has a girlfriend, you know. If she found out..."

Kushida twisted her body, acting coy.

"I already know." Horikita walked up with an expressionless face, reached out, and pinched the soft flesh on Bai Ye's waist with all her might.

Bai Ye gasped in pain, barely managing to keep his composure:

"Horikita, so you were here."

"I've been here the whole time, following right behind you two, wanting to see what kind of affair you were having. I didn't expect..."

Horikita said with disappointment: "I didn't expect that the moment I stepped away for two steps, you would—"

"Yeah, Jingu-kun is such a pervert, always thinking about doing lewd things to me."

Kushida added fuel to the fire, walking over to Horikita's side while looking at him with a bitter, accusatory expression.

Horikita said coldly: "You're no saint either."

"Tch—"

Kushida pursed her lips and muttered, "Adulterers..."

"What did you say!?" Even though it was quiet, Horikita heard it clearly. "Say it again?"

Seeing that Horikita was genuinely about to strike, Bai Ye pulled her back just in time, and Kushida took the opportunity to hide behind him.

Horikita glared at him: "What exactly is your relationship with her? Don't tell me it's just 'friends'."

"She is..."

He looked back at Kushida's 'pitiful' little face before turning to Horikita:

"She is my... daughter."

"Eh—?" Both girls exclaimed in unison.

Kushida's face flushed red, while Horikita wore an icy expression as if looking at a pervert:

"How disgusting. Since you claim she's your daughter, why don't you have her call you 'Daddy' and let me hear it?"

"Daddy?"

Kushida actually called out, shaking his arm and acting spoiled: "Daddy, who is this woman? Why is she so fierce? Could she be going through menopause?"

"..."

Sensing the temperature around them dropping, Bai Ye knew things were going south and quickly said to Kushida:

"You go first, I'll cover for you."

"You're so good to me, Daddy~"

Kushida looked left and right, and seeing that no one was paying attention, she made a bold move.

She leaned in, pecked Bai Ye lightly on the cheek, and then gave a provocative look at Horikita's eyes, which seemed ready to freeze over, before scurrying away in a panic.

Bai Ye, having been ambushed, had black lines running down his forehead:

"Horikita, just now..."

"I know."

The cold aura Horikita had been radiating seemed to vanish in an instant. She let out a soft sigh: "Go back and wipe your face clean."

Then came the next sentence.

"Do you want a daughter that badly?"

"What?"

He had just started to ask, but Horikita had already brushed past him and walked far ahead.

He touched the spot where he had been kissed, then followed after her.

In less than a day, the news that Nagumo had been thoroughly crushed on the sports field spread throughout the school.

Although the second-year students remained relatively calm, the first and third-years couldn't hold back.

There is a saying about 'beating a dog that has fallen into the water'.

Audiences don't just love gossip; when it comes to people they dislike, the moment that person hits a low point, they will step up to give them a hard kick.

Because of this, all sorts of rumors about Nagumo oppressing students and being promiscuous spread everywhere.

Although these rumors weren't necessarily true, sometimes the public doesn't care about the truth of the news.

As long as it's interesting, and as long as it can serve as after-dinner conversation, that's enough.

Not to mention the thrill of gossiping behind the back of a 'big shot' like Nagumo.

Nagumo Miyabi, the center of all the gossip, was currently lying on the large bed in the infirmary, his face as dark as charcoal.

That wasn't even the worst part; the real issue was that Hoshinomiya Chie, the infirmary teacher, kept looping the video of their match on her phone.

She kept muttering things like, "Jingu is so cool," and "Beat that arrogant vice president to a pulp," under her breath.

He knew Hoshinomiya was doing it on purpose, but since she was a teacher, there was nothing he could do about it.

Only when Hoshinomiya finally walked out did he slam his fist against the hospital bed before lying back down to sleep.

Just then, a male student pushed the door open and walked in.

As he pulled back the curtain, he was met with a completely expressionless face.

"Are you one of Jingu's lackeys? What do you want with me?"

"I'm here to make sure the vice president fulfills his promise."

Ayanokouji pulled a voice recorder from his pocket and played the recording of Nagumo promising that the loser would have to apologize and admit they were inferior to the other.

Nagumo's face turned even more livid. "And what if I don't?"

"Then I'll have no choice but to make this recording public and have you apologize in front of everyone, senior."

"...Do you have any idea what you're saying?"

"I know exactly what I'm saying. But I'm just the errand boy; if you have any issues, Nagumo-senpai, you can go find Jingu. He'll be happy to provide you with an answer."

"Fine, I get it. But I won't be apologizing. What is it you people actually want?" Nagumo said with a sneer.

He had seen plenty of people like this; it was nothing more than a demand for compensation.

After all, how much could an apology really be worth?

But to him, it was still quite valuable—he still had his reputation to maintain.

"Three million."

"What? Three... are you people insane?"

"Jingu said there is no room for negotiation. If you don't want to pay, forget it; I'll just take this to the student council president and let him preside over the matter."

Nagumo gritted his teeth, eventually letting out a sigh.

"Send me your student ID number, I'll transfer it to you."

While three million was a painful loss, it was still within his acceptable range; any more than that, and he would have been forced to apologize to Bai Ye.

His face was already lost anyway; losing it a little more was something he could endure.

Ayanokouji left the room once the payment was received.

Nagumo stared at the door, his expression shifting between rage and uncertainty.

"Jingu, you just wait... I will make you kneel and apologize to me, damn it!"

Outside the school building, Bai Ye received the points from Ayanokouji and transferred one million back to him.

Ayanokouji looked at him. "What are these points for?"

"Your service fee. It was you who spread those malicious rumors about Nagumo, right? I haven't thanked you for that yet."

"Isn't this a bit too much..."

"It's not much. If I didn't still have a use for these points, I would have split them with you fifty-fifty."

"..."

"Don't look at me like that. While I do have a bit of a desire to win people over, what I want to tell you is that if you help me of your own volition, I won't treat you poorly. I've always been good to my own people."

"..."

"I know it's hard to trust me so easily, but I'll give you time."

After a long silence, Ayanokouji said:

"I won't submit to anyone, so..."

"I never asked you to submit. I just want to establish a temporary partnership. Think about it: our current situation is dire. If we cooperate, our chances of success will increase significantly. Besides, I have no interest in controlling you—you should know by now that I only have eyes for women."

Ayanokouji nodded silently at this.

This made Bai Ye feel a bit awkward.

After a pause, he said, "Then it's settled. Stop being on guard against me all the time; it's exhausting. I have enough trouble dealing with you and those other enemies I don't even know the nature of."

"Fine. I'll cooperate with you for now, but I require compensation."

"No problem."

If Ayanokouji hadn't asked for money, he would have been worried instead. Now, there was no need.

For Ayanokouji, an equal exchange of interests was the most stable foundation for any relationship.