Classroom of the Elite, After the Intel Refreshed, They Always Want to Conquer Me! 16

Only then did she realize that she hadn't considered this question at all.

But on second thought, isn't it perfectly normal for couples to do these things?

"For now... I don't want that yet..." Karuizawa Kei kept her head down, her voice as thin as a mosquito's hum.

"So," Shimizu Akira narrowed his eyes slightly, "do you need a protector more, or a boyfriend?"

"Protection," she blurted out almost without thinking.

"Then why are you so fixated on a dating relationship?" Shimizu Akira frowned, puzzled.

"Because..." Karuizawa Kei twisted her fingers, "only then will others have reservations. Isn't it only natural for a boyfriend to protect his girlfriend?"

"...Are your grades usually not very good?" Shimizu Akira suddenly sighed, rubbing his temples in frustration.

"W-what is that supposed to mean!" Karuizawa Kei looked like a cat with its fur standing on end, "My grades are at least average! Besides..." her voice suddenly dropped, "this can also... avoid harassment from other boys..."

Shimizu Akira looked at the girl before him, lost in thought, "How about joining a sports club as a manager? That way, naturally, no one would dare bully you."

"Do you think I haven't tried that?" Karuizawa Kei wrinkled her nose in disgust, "The upperclassmen in those sports clubs look at people as if they want to swallow them whole..."

"Then come be a manager for the Boxing Club. I'll talk to the captain and have everyone give you special attention," Shimizu Akira said with a firm tone, "I can look after you when I'm there. I'll also cover for you in class—after all, you're now our club's 'mascot.' This way, others will have to worry about the reputation of the Boxing Club and answer to me, so no one should dare touch you."

"This..." Karuizawa Kei's eyes gradually brightened.

She bit her lip and pondered for a moment, realizing that this plan was indeed feasible—she wouldn't have to force a relationship, yet she would receive substantial protection.

"Then... thank you, Shimizu-san!" Karuizawa Kei bowed solemnly.

"No need for thanks," Shimizu Akira waved his hand dismissively, "just pay me in points."

"Eh?!" Karuizawa Kei jerked her head up, her eyes widening in disbelief.

"What?" Shimizu Akira instead looked confused, "You didn't think I'd be your bodyguard for free, did you?" He said with a tone of natural logic, "This is a fair trade. Besides—if you don't pay anything, you'll feel uneasy, won't you? What if I just stand by and watch one day? Wouldn't you be stunned?"

Karuizawa Kei opened her mouth, only to find herself speechless.

This man's way of thinking always managed to pinpoint her most secret anxieties with precision.

Indeed, for someone like Karuizawa Kei who lacked a sense of security, being able to trade points for protection actually made her feel relieved.

"One month... is 80,000 points okay?" After hesitating for a moment, she carefully proposed a number.

After a quick calculation, this was 80% of her monthly income.

"Deal," Shimizu Akira nodded readily, then raised his index finger to emphasize, "But I'll state this beforehand—I will only step in if you are bullied without cause. If you provoke others yourself, or try to throw your weight around using my name, I won't be responsible for the aftermath."

To be honest, 80,000 wasn't much, nor was it little. If Karuizawa Kei got into trouble with upperclassmen, the price he might have to pay could be far greater than that.

But judging by the girl's restless and uneasy appearance, this was likely the limit of what she could offer.

028 The Opening Layout of Class A's Sakayanagi Arisu

Saturday, morning.

A cool morning breeze brushed across the campus as Sakayanagi Arisu sat gracefully on a bench by the roadside, her slender fingers sliding gently across her phone screen.

The screen displayed a chat interface with "Sakayanagi Narimori"—her father, who was also the current chairman of Advanced Nurturing High School.

As the only daughter of the chairman, Sakayanagi Arisu had been spoken to privately by her father the day before she enrolled.

Her father, Sakayanagi Narimori, had told her bluntly—he hoped that during her time in high school, she would identify a boy with a strong physique and no family history of genetic diseases.

The reason her father emphasized the condition of "strong physique and no family history of disease" so much was related to her parents—

Sakayanagi Narimori himself was in good health, but her mother had been frail since birth.

After the two married, Sakayanagi Arisu was born with a congenital heart defect.

Her childhood was spent almost entirely in hospitals, and playing chess alone became her most familiar pastime.

It wasn't until later, when her health improved slightly, that she was permitted by her doctors to start attending school.

And now, her father's expectation was actually quite simple—he could not let the next generation repeat the same mistakes; his future grandson or granddaughter had to be a healthy child.

Sakayanagi Arisu currently had no interest in romance, but she complied with her father's wishes, promising that her future marriage partner would be someone healthy with no family history of genetic diseases.

To her, this wasn't even a choice that required hesitation.

People always crave what they lack—and what she lacked was a robust physique.

The experience of being bullied by classmates as a child, and even having her cane taken away, had long ago made her resolve: her future partner must possess overwhelming physical prowess.

She could not tolerate a sickly man standing by her side—a guy who couldn't even protect his own woman was no different from trash.

However, compared to boring things like romance, she was currently more interested in playing mind games with geniuses.

Just like the showdown with Shimizu Akira on Monday—even after losing all her points, she wasn't angry; instead, she developed an even deeper interest in that man.

After all, there were simply too few opponents who could make her take things seriously.

Sakayanagi Arisu tapped the screen with her fingertip, sending a message to her father:

"Father, could you send me the entrance exam scores and physical examination records of this year's freshmen?"

As soon as the message was sent, she added another line:

"After all, you said I should find a partner with a healthy body. I have to screen them first; it would be troublesome if I ended up with a weakling."

The phone vibrated almost immediately.

"I see! You're right, Arisu, I'll send them to you right now."

"First-year_Physical_Examination_Report.xlsx"

"First-year_Entrance_Exam_Results.xlsx"

Looking at the files that arrived in an instant, Arisu Sakayanagi couldn't help but chuckle, her slender calves swinging gently in the air. "Father is really so easy to fool..."

Indeed, Narimori Sakayanagi would grant almost any request his daughter made.

Arisu Sakayanagi looked at the supplementary information sent by her father, her fingertips tapping lightly on the phone screen.

[Anyone with physical ability B+ or higher is worth considering, though by my standards, A-rank is best. These children don't just lack hereditary diseases; they rarely even catch a cold from childhood to adulthood, and some haven't even taken medicine.]

[By the way! That Rokusuke Kouenji from Class D has appeared at the upperclassmen girls' dormitory for three consecutive days. This person is directly excluded.]

"Is Father... helping me screen potential marriage candidates?" She couldn't help but hold her forehead, her snow-white cheeks slightly puffed out.

To investigate even such details so thoroughly, he was being overly meddlesome.

The light from the screen reflected in her amethyst-like eyes, revealing a look of helplessness and amusement.

Her father's excessive enthusiasm was exactly like those middle-aged women anxious to find partners for their daughters.

Arisu Sakayanagi's slender fingers tapped lightly on the screen, replying:

"I know, Father. I do know the young master of the Koenji Conglomerate~ I'll look at the data first."

Putting down the phone, she clicked directly on the first-year entrance exam report, sliding without hesitation to the file for Akira Shimizu of Class D.

The moment the data expanded, her pupils contracted slightly—

[Academic Ability: E-]

[Judgment: B]

[Intelligence: E-]

[Physical Ability: A]

[Teamwork: E-]

"..."

This was impossible.

The person who had made her taste defeat in a psychological game actually held the lowest intelligence rating in every subject?

And the most ironic part was that this "Intelligence E-" guy's most dazzling achievement was... his combat power?

An E-rank student who thought with his muscles had actually beaten her, an A-rank genius?

When her gaze swept over the other party's physical examination report, she paused again.

--[Hereditary Disease History: None]

Hidden beneath this brief record was startling data.

His platelet count far exceeded the normal upper limit, his red blood cell oxygen-carrying capacity surpassed the level of most athletes, and even his basal metabolic rate was 30% higher than the standard value.

As someone who dealt with medical reports year-round, she knew exactly what these numbers meant: this was simply not the physical function a normal high school student should have.

"Too perfect! It's almost like..." she bit her lower lip unconsciously, "a genetically optimized experimental subject."

The phone trembled slightly in her hand.

The opponent who had been so composed in front of the "chessboard" actually hid such astonishing physical fitness in his bones.

The energy that this body could erupt with would likely be able to snap her fragile wrists easily—as simply as snapping a reed.

"The physical ability assessment could never be wrong... then the interviewer must have underestimated the strength of student Shimizu!" Thinking of this, a trace of anger appeared on Arisu Sakayanagi's fair face.

After all, Akira Shimizu was an opponent who had fairly defeated her in a game of wits. If he were rated as E-rank, wouldn't her own A-rank evaluation become a huge joke?

[Father, I am very interested in student Akira Shimizu from Class D. Can I view his entrance exam footage?]

{Akira Shimizu? Indeed, this child's physical ability is A, which fits the criteria very well. I'll send you the footage right now.}

And when Arisu Sakayanagi stared at the failing grades across all subjects on the screen, her elegant posture froze in place for once—this girl, known for her wisdom, fell into a five-second mental blank for the first time in her life.

{Why, is Arisu interested in student Shimizu? He is a bit dull, but I don't object. After all, my requirements for a future son-in-law are simple—he just needs to be able to protect you and give me a healthy grandson. Anyway, in terms of intelligence, who in this world can compare to my daughter?}

Arisu Sakayanagi ignored her father's playful teasing and instead focused her thoughts back on the mysterious boy.

"I see..." she suddenly chuckled, a hint of intrigue flashing in her eyes, "Laying out a plan from the entrance exam? Intentionally lurking in Class D with failing grades in all subjects, waiting for the right moment... Student Shimizu, what kind of game... are you playing?"

The phone screen lit up again.

Arisu Sakayanagi lowered her eyes, her fingertips sliding lightly across the screen—it was a message from a certain bald student in Class A.

Kohei Katsuragi: I have already reached a private agreement with those students who violated school rules. From now on, no one in Class A will violate the "Daily Conduct Standards."

Kohei Katsuragi: Based on the information and data analysis you proactively provided, Class A will only have a maximum of fifty-six class points deducted this month.

Kohei Katsuragi: In this way, Class A can still firmly hold the top spot next month.

Only then did Arisu Sakayanagi's gaze move away from the screen, her fingertips tapping lightly against her cane.

The layout for Class A was already set; all that remained was to wait for the results.

"Shimizu-kun... how are things going over in Class D? Do try not to disappoint me too much."

029 What? Class D got a big fat zero?

Class D Boys Group Chat

Yamauchi Haruki: It's 07:44 right now, on my way to class!

Ike Kanji: ? You're actually not skipping class with me? The odds of this are lower than winning the lottery.

Yamauchi Haruki: Hehe, you know how it is.

Ike Kanji: Wait... don't tell me... you're only this motivated to see the girls in their swimsuits?

Yamauchi Haruki: High five. You know me best, Kanji!

Hirata Yosuke: Although your motives aren't exactly pure... it's always a good thing to arrive on time, but the two of you have quite the attendance record this week...

Yamauchi Haruki: Doesn't matter, the teachers don't care anyway, why are you worrying so much?

Shimizu Akira silently put down his phone and sighed.

These guys really are carefree.

A week had already passed since the start of school, yet they hadn't noticed the hidden point-deduction rules of the campus at all, still chirping away like a flock of happy little sparrows about the upcoming swimming class.

In this past week, he had witnessed over fifty instances of misconduct: tardiness, truancy, whispering in class, sneaking peeks at phones...

Ike Kanji had been a fairly normal student at the start of the term, but ever since he started hanging out with Yamauchi Haruki, he had gradually become a regular truant, and had unknowingly joined the ranks of Kushida Kikyou's many followers, trailing behind her like a monkey in heat.

It truly proved the old saying—one takes on the habits of those one associates with.

Shimizu Akira saw all of this, but he also understood that he had no standing to interfere with anyone else's choice of friends.

At the end of the day, they were nothing more than classmates.

Just then, a crisp notification sound rang out in his mind.