The upperclassman sitting across from them was clearly wary of the two underclassmen who had approached her uninvited. She obviously didn't believe that two people who looked so extraordinary would really want to share her table or strike up a conversation. The girl accompanying them was proof enough—she was as cute as a magazine model.
"Can I help you?"
Natsukawa, however, seemed not to notice her guarded posture. His gaze calmly swept over the upperclassman's face before settling on her makeup and eyeshadow. They looked cheap, but had been carefully applied.
"Senpai, I heard that the previous years' midterm exam papers are 'in circulation' among the upperclassmen?"
The upperclassman's pupils suddenly contracted. She instinctively tried to deny it, but Natsukawa didn't give her the chance.
"Don't rush to deny it, senpai." Natsukawa's voice remained steady, but carried the pressure of someone who saw right through her. "I can tell you're a smart person who knows how to invest in yourself." His gaze meaningfully swept over her carefully groomed brows and eyes. "I imagine this mountain vegetable set doesn't taste very good. Yet you put up with it for the long term while still spending so much effort on your appearance... You must really need points, don't you?"
He had hit the upperclassman right where it hurt. The last class in each year didn't get many points each month. She'd rather eat the worst food than let her appearance go, which meant she was either extremely vain or had a reason she had to maintain her image—for example, she didn't want to look too shabby next to the other glamorous girls in her class.
The upperclassman's expression shifted several times, and her fingers tightened around her chopsticks. Natsukawa's words were like a needle, piercing the dignity she was barely holding on to. She really was short on points. Whenever the girls in her class discussed the latest cosmetics their boyfriends had given them or the fashionable accessories they'd bought, it felt like invisible lashes whipping at her sensitive pride.
"I... I don't know what you're talking about." She still tried to resist, but her voice had already weakened.
"Let's not beat around the bush, senpai." Natsukawa leaned back in his chair, relaxed in posture yet even more imposing. "I need the five subject papers from the first-year midterms in the first half of the school year. We can discuss the price."
He paused, watching the upperclassman struggle with herself, then offered an even more tempting condition. "And, senpai, you should think this through. We came to you because you're the first Class D student I've met. You wouldn't want me to go looking for other Class D students, would you? And what if I happened to find one of your close friends, and she happened to use those free points to show off her new makeup in front of you... when it could have been yours instead..."
He was deftly playing on the possibility of jealousy and exclusion among the girls.
The upperclassman's eyes flickered wildly. Natsukawa's words had undoubtedly struck a vulnerable spot. She imagined the few girls she always spent time with showing off their expensive new cosmetics while she had to scrimp and save just to afford basic skincare. A private resentment rose within her. Her defenses were crumbling fast.
"...I don't have them, but I can find someone who does." She finally gave in, but still tried to bargain for more. "And getting these for you is risky for me... It's not unreasonable to ask for a little compensation for the trouble, is it?"
"Risky?" Natsukawa chuckled. "If the school really wanted to stop this, they'd have changed the exam papers at the source long ago. We wouldn't be sitting here making a deal otherwise, would we?" He lightly tapped the table, as though calculating. "Here's the offer, senpai. We'll pay you one thousand points per paper. Five thousand in total. How does that sound?"
"That's way too little. Five papers should be worth at least twenty thousand points."
Natsukawa didn't even furrow his brow. He simply shook his head. "Too much, senpai. Our points don't grow on trees either. Eight thousand."
"Fifteen thousand! I can't go any lower! I deserve a little for the trouble."
"Twelve thousand. Senpai, think carefully. If you pass us up, you might not find another buyer this generous. How about this: twelve thousand is our limit. I don't care how you get the papers, but for every point you manage to save, I'll give you half of it as compensation for your trouble. How does that sound?"
He spoke quickly and clearly, giving the upperclassman little time to think and forcing her to choose.
She had been about to keep haggling, but when she saw Natsukawa's unyielding gaze, she finally gritted her teeth. "...Deal."
The deal was done. Natsukawa deftly worked his terminal and transferred five thousand points as a deposit. Once the upperclassman confirmed that the points had arrived, her expression softened. She lowered her voice and said, "I'll send you the papers before class this afternoon."
"That works." Natsukawa nodded.
The upperclassman hurriedly finished the rest of her mountain vegetable set and left. Natsukawa and Kushida went to the counter to order their own lunch, then found a place to sit.
"Natsukawa-kun, is this really okay?" Kushida asked softly, her face showing just the right amount of concern. "If the school finds out we're buying and selling exam papers..."
Natsukawa ate his lunch, his tone casual. "The school rules don't explicitly forbid buying and selling past exam papers, which means they're tacitly permitted. And judging by how familiar that senpai was with the process, this isn't her first time. If the school really opposed it, they would've closed this loophole long ago instead of letting it remain. Maybe this is another kind of 'ability' test in itself—the ability to gather information and acquire resources."
His analysis was calm and thorough, leaving Kushida with no way to refute it.
They had barely left the cafeteria after lunch when Natsukawa's Personal Terminal received a notification. He opened it and saw a compressed file from the upperclassman. It contained clear photos of the five subjects' midterm exam papers from the previous year. Below them, she'd also left a message:
"I got the papers for eight thousand points."
She had even attached a transfer record.
Natsukawa quickly looked through the papers and, after confirming they were all there, transferred the remaining points. Then he tapped the screen a few times and forwarded the file to Kushida beside him.
Kushida's terminal chimed. She took it out, puzzled, and froze when she saw the file Natsukawa had sent.
"What's this...?" She looked up at Natsukawa, confusion filling her eyes.
"It's yours." Natsukawa's tone was casual, as if he'd given her a piece of candy. "Do whatever you want with these papers. Share them with Hirata's study group, or give them to anyone you think deserves help. It's my way of... thanking you for having lunch with me."
"But," he added after a pause, looking into Kushida's eyes with a hint of meaning in his own, "don't mention that I had anything to do with where these papers came from."
Kushida clutched her terminal, and the little device suddenly felt hot in her hands. A moment ago, she'd been mildly annoyed that Natsukawa had interrupted her lunch gathering with her friends. Now a "generous gift" that could earn her a great deal of goodwill and influence in class had landed in her hands. His sudden "generosity" instantly swept away her tiny grievance.
She could almost imagine how popular she would become in class if she "selflessly" shared these past exam papers while everyone was feeling anxious.
Having watched the whole thing unfold, Kushida now felt a mixture of surprise, gratitude, and even deeper wariness surging within her. As she looked at Natsukawa's calm profile, she became more and more convinced that he wasn't someone to offend lightly. She had to bring him over to her side! She absolutely couldn't let him stand against her in any future conflict with Horikita.
"Natsukawa-kun..." A smile bloomed across Kushida's face again. This time, it was less affected and a little more genuinely sweet. "Thank you so much! Don't worry, I know what to do~!"
She clasped her terminal tightly in both hands as if she were holding a priceless treasure. Alongside her usual caution and desire to win him over, her gaze toward Natsukawa now held an indescribable intensity.
Natsukawa took in her reaction and knew the "gift" had achieved the desired effect. He gave a faint nod and said nothing more.
The sun shone brightly, stretching their shadows long. These past exam papers had quietly shifted the delicate balance between them. Kushida Kikyo, a piece on Natsukawa's chessboard, had advanced another step in the direction he had planned.
Before you continue