Nagumo, Pay Up

After class, Kushida walked back to the classroom with Bai Ye, chattering nonstop:

"Wow, you were so cool! You actually beat the vice president... I'd heard how strong he was."

But Bai Ye didn't look all that happy. "So what if I won? How about you let me hug you? That might cheer me up."

"How could I...? Jingu-kun has a girlfriend. What if she finds out...?"

Kushida squirmed and pouted.

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

Bai Ye sucked in a sharp breath of pain, barely managing to stay calm.

"Horikita, I didn't know you were there."

"I was there the whole time, following right behind you. I wanted to see what kind of funny business you were up to, but I never expected..."

Horikita said in disappointment, "I never thought that the moment I walked away for two seconds, you'd—"

"Yeah, Jingu-kun is such a pervert. All he thinks about is doing naughty things to people."

Kushida poured fuel on the fire, then walked over to Horikita and watched Bai Ye with a look of deep resentment.

Horikita said coldly, "You're no better."

"Tsk—"

Kushida pursed her lips and muttered, "A pair of adulterers..."

"What did you say!?" Though she'd said it quietly, Horikita had heard every word. "Say that again?"

Seeing that Horikita really looked ready to lash out, Bai Ye quickly held her back. Kushida took the opportunity to hide behind him.

Horikita gave him a cold look. "And what's your relationship with her? Don't tell me she's another friend."

"She's..."

He turned to look at Kushida's 'pitiful' little face, then turned back to Horikita.

"She's my... daughter."

"Eh—?" Both girls exclaimed at once.

Kushida's face immediately flushed red, while Horikita gave him a cold look like he was some kind of pervert.

"Gross. If you say she's your daughter, then let's hear her call you Dad."

"Dad?"

Kushida really did call him that. She clung to his arm and cooed, "Dad, who's this woman? Why is she so mean? Could she be going through menopause?"

"..."

Noticing the temperature around them dropping by the second, Bai Ye knew things were bad. He hurriedly told Kushida, "You go on ahead. I'll cover for you."

"Dad, you're the best~"

Kushida glanced around and, seeing that nobody was paying attention, did something daring.

She leaned in and gave Bai Ye a quick peck on the cheek. Then, after giving Horikita's nearly frozen gaze a provocative look, she hurriedly fled.

Bai Ye, caught by surprise, was left with a giant sweat drop.

"Horikita, just now..."

"I know."

The chill around Horikita seemed to vanish in an instant. She let out a soft breath. "Wipe your face when we get back."

Then she added, "Do you want a daughter that badly?"

"What?"

He was about to ask what she meant, but Horikita had already walked right past him and gone far ahead.

He touched the spot she'd kissed, then followed after her.

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

The second-years were relatively calm, but the first- and third-years couldn't keep quiet.

There was a saying: "Kick a man when he's down."

The spectators didn't just enjoy gossip. When they disliked someone, they'd happily stomp all over them the moment they saw them fall from grace.

As a result, rumors that Nagumo oppressed students and slept around spread everywhere.

The rumors might not have been true, but sometimes the crowd didn't care whether the news was true or not.

As long as it was interesting, and they could use it as dinner-table gossip, that was enough.

Not to mention how satisfying it was to gossip behind the back of a 'big shot' like Nagumo.

Miyabi Nagumo, the center of all the rumors, was lying on the infirmary bed with a face as dark as charcoal.

That wasn't even the main problem. The worst part was that Hoshinomiya Chie, the infirmary teacher, kept replaying the recording of their match on her phone.

She kept muttering things like, "Little Jingu's so cool," and, "Beat that smug vice president to a pulp."

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

When Hoshinomiya finally walked out, he punched the bed hard, then lay down to sleep.

Just then, a boy opened the door and walked in.

When he pulled back the curtain, he saw a face devoid of expression.

"Are you Jingu's lackey? What do you want?"

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

Ayanokouji took a voice recorder from his pocket and played Nagumo's recorded promise that the loser would apologize and admit that he was inferior to his opponent.

Nagumo's face grew even more livid. "What if I don't do it?"

"Then I can only make this recording public and have Senior Nagumo apologize in front of everyone."

"...Do you know what you're saying?"

"Of course I do. But I'm just running an errand. If you have a problem, Senior Nagumo, you can take it up with Jingu. He'll give you an explanation."

"I understand. But I won't apologize. What do you want?" Nagumo said dismissively.

He'd seen plenty of people like this. They just wanted compensation.

After all, how much could an apology be worth?

But to him, it was worth quite a lot. He still had his pride.

"Three million."

"What? Three... Are you people crazy?"

"Jingu said there's no room for negotiation. If you don't want to pay, then forget it. I'll take the recording to the student council president and let him decide what's fair."

Nagumo gritted his teeth, but in the end, he sighed.

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

Three million points made his heart ache, but it was still within reason. Any more, and he'd have no choice but to apologize to Bai Ye.

He'd already lost face. He could grit his teeth and get through losing it again.

Ayanokouji left the room after receiving the money.

Nagumo stared at the door, his expression shifting between light and dark.

"Jingu, just you wait... I'll 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 fee. You were the one who started those malicious rumors about Nagumo, right? I haven't even thanked you yet."

"Isn't this too much...?"

"It's not much. If I didn't have a use for the points, I'd have split them with you."

"..."

"Don't look at me like that. Sure, I do want to win you over a little, but what I want to say is that if you're willing to help me, I won't treat you unfairly. I've always been good to my own people."

"..."

"I know it'll be hard for you to trust me right away. 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 work with you for now. Think about it. We're both in a pretty bad situation. If we work together, our chances of success will go way up. And I have no interest in controlling you. You should know that the only thing I care about is women."

Ayanokouji silently nodded.

That left Bai Ye feeling a little awkward.

After a pause, he said, "Then it's settled. And stop being on guard against me all the time. It's exhausting, having to deal with you and all those enemies whose identities I don't even know."

"Fine. I'll work with you for now, but I want to be paid."

"No problem."

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

For Ayanokouji, an equal exchange of benefits was the firmest foundation for a relationship.