Classroom of the Elite, After the Intel Refreshed, They Always Want to Conquer Me! 28

The anger radiating from her brother felt like physical pressure, making it difficult for her to even breathe.

Shimizu Akira put away his phone, and just as he reached the back of the dormitory, he heard the sound of a heated argument.

"...The class placement system is irrational!"

"You only ever make excuses!"

(Are these siblings always this reckless about arguing in public?)

(Are they going to start a physical fight in the next second?)

He raised an eyebrow and simply walked over, making no attempt to hide his presence.

Horikita Suzune and her brother were confronting each other from less than two meters apart—fortunately, the tense atmosphere had not yet escalated into physical violence.

"Good evening, you two."

As soon as Horikita Manabu heard someone speaking nearby, he turned around and began to scrutinize the man before him. "You are... the first-year from the Boxing Club that Sato mentioned?"

A look of genuine surprise appeared on Shimizu Akira's face. "I didn't expect the Student Council President to remember me."

He was indeed surprised.

But upon reflection, his club president was an elite in Class A of the third year, and coupled with that eye-catching speech at the entrance ceremony, it wasn't entirely strange for the Student Council President to remember him.

"Hmph." Horikita Manabu adjusted his glasses. "So, are you a friend of Suzune's? And a student in Class D of the first year as well."

Shimizu Akira shrugged nonchalantly. "You could say that..."

"He isn't!" Horikita Suzune interrupted suddenly, her voice carrying a rare sense of urgency. "He is just..."

"Just an irrelevant person who happened to pass by?" Horikita Manabu sneered, his gaze locking back onto his sister. "You don't even have the courage to admit to a friendship? Is this the extent of your character?"

"So, do you have anything to say to us siblings? Or do you intend to act like a passerby and keep walking?" Horikita Manabu continued, looking at Shimizu Akira.

"I am not a passerby, otherwise I wouldn't have revealed myself. Actually, on the road just now, your voices were quite loud, and I heard bits and pieces of your conversation. Since the Student Council President has asked for my opinion, I will share my thoughts."

Shimizu Akira sighed, looking directly at the two of them with a hint of helplessness in his tone.

"Horikita-san, this is where you are in the wrong."

Horikita Manabu's eyes turned cold instantly. "You—"

"Don't misunderstand, Student Council President, the Horikita-san I am referring to is not you." Shimizu Akira raised a hand to interrupt, then shook his head and pointed a finger directly at Horikita Suzune. "I am not talking about you, but your sister; this Horikita-san is the one who is wrong."

"Clearly, her way of thinking and the things she is saying are the real problems here."

Horikita Suzune's eyes widened, her expression wavering for a rare moment before a hint of shame and annoyance surfaced.

(This guy just gave me 16,000 points earlier! Why is he suddenly badmouthing her!)

049 The problem is, your brother isn't alone either?

"You are saying... Suzune is wrong?" Horikita Manabu's eyes widened slightly, a flash of surprise crossing his gaze behind his lenses.

He clearly hadn't expected that the first thing this boy, who had suddenly appeared, would do was directly criticize his own sister—the boy's classmate.

"Isn't that an obvious fact?" Shimizu Akira crossed his arms, his tone tinged with helplessness. "Horikita-san, I told you about the class placement last Friday. Chabashira-sensei explained it very clearly yesterday, didn't she? Your placement into Class D is completely reasonable."

"After so many days, you must have verified it with the school administration by now. Now that even your brother has told you to your face—you were placed in Class D simply because your abilities are lacking. Just how stubborn do you intend to be before you accept reality?"

Shimizu Akira shook his head, his gaze shifting between the two siblings. "Honestly, if I put myself in your shoes, if I were the President..." He rubbed his temples. "Just imagining having to deal with this kind of family matter gives me a headache."

His gaze turned to Horikita Suzune. "There is one more thing you might not have realized. Your brother, Horikita Manabu, was placed directly into Class A back then. By questioning the fairness of the class placement system, you are, to some extent, denying the advantage of your brother's starting point."

Shimizu Akira walked between the two of them naturally.

"At the end of the day, you are siblings." His gaze swept back and forth between them. "Why make things so tense when you share the same blood? This Horikita-san, it's time to see reality clearly..." He glanced at Horikita Manabu again. "And President, we are all high school students now, not children, so don't plan on using force to solve problems."

Horikita Suzune's feelings at this moment were a complex mix.

She had assumed that Shimizu Akira, who had suddenly appeared, was there to support her, but she hadn't expected him to be a lobbyist on her brother's side.

Honestly, she didn't even want to tutor him anymore!

Meanwhile, Horikita Manabu raised an eyebrow calmly.

He was indeed feeling a bit surprised.

The argument put forward by this freshman was so sound that he couldn't find a single flaw—every word was based on purely objective analysis.

As for using force?

He hadn't even considered that thought.

After all, the boy was not only speaking from his own perspective but was also a junior in the same club as his classmate.

"I am Horikita Manabu, Student Council President and a third-year in Class A." He nodded slightly. "What is your name?"

"I am Shimizu Akira from Class D of the first year." Shimizu Akira replied with just the right amount of decorum. "I have heard much about you, President."

"If you want to be promoted to Class A, you should learn how to conduct yourself from this student, Shimizu." As soon as he finished speaking, Horikita Manabu turned and walked away.

"He left so decisively... I guess he really was just here to see his sister. He isn't very interested in anyone else." Shimizu Akira watched that tall, straight back, rubbing his chin with a hint of regret.

He had wanted to take the opportunity to ask about the Student Council Vice President, but the other party hadn't even given him the chance to speak.

A subtle silence permeated the air.

Horikita Suzune stood rooted to the spot for a long time. Finally, she lifted her chin slightly, her voice carrying a trace of imperceptible wavering: "My placement results... is the main reason because of my lack of social skills?"

Shimizu Akira's tone was very calm. "Have you finally realized this problem?" After a brief pause, he continued, "Not only that. Your high-and-mighty attitude, along with your words and actions that deliberately keep people at a distance—these are likely all reasons why you were assigned to Class D."

"...That evaluation is truly unpleasant. And that's coming from someone who can't even understand a Japanese literature class."

"I'm just a person who loves telling the truth. Besides! A grade in a literature class doesn't represent a person's level of communication at all."

"I don't need to rely on anyone, and I can't trust anyone!"

"...You'll realize how cringey that line is in a few years!"

Shimizu Akira's tone shifted abruptly. "Speaking of which, you're aiming to be in the Student Council, right? As far as I know, Tachibana Akane from the Student Council often acts alongside your brother and is his capable assistant. So, your brother isn't actually always alone."

He was genuinely curious about this question at the moment—since she was imitating her own brother, why not learn from him thoroughly?

"...Where did you get that information?" Horikita Suzune's expression darkened instantly.

"...Anyone you ask in the third year would tell you. Seriously, how long has it been since you've had a proper conversation with someone!" Shimizu Akira was completely exasperated. "You can't even gather the most basic information, yet you want to be assigned to Class A? If your brother doesn't scold you, do you expect him to praise you?"

These two sentences were like two sharp arrows, piercing deeply into Horikita's heart.

How could that be!

She had always thought... her brother was always walking forward all by himself.

She never expected that there was already a capable assistant inseparable from his side!

Then what did her persistence over all these years count for?

Shimizu Akira caught a glimpse of her suddenly lowering her head, her lips bitten pale, her entire body trembling with disbelief.

He hadn't expected that a simple sentence would cause her to break down instantly.

Come to think of it, wasn't this the most natural thing in the world?

After all, the other party was the Student Council President—if he didn't have support from others, how could he stand firm in the elections on his own?

"You were indeed inconsiderate and too stubborn just now; it's normal for your brother to be angry. Anyway, you should think it over."

After saying this, Shimizu Akira turned and walked away, offering no extra comfort or hypocritical pleasantries.

Horikita Suzune was not a dull person; she had her own pride.

Everything that needed to be said had been laid out—with her intelligence, after this setback, she would naturally be able to figure it out once she calmed down.

After returning to his dormitory, Shimizu Akira sprawled out on his bed in a cross shape.

He read the few messages sent by Chabashira Sae once more.

A more important thought flashed through his mind.

"Since that Nagumo Miyabi deliberately blocked the information..." he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "then the only ones who know the inside story now are probably me and Sakayanagi Arisu from Class A? Class B and Class C should still be in the dark..."

This was simply a god-given opportunity—a perfect window for selling information.

"It seems it's time to expand the scope of my business."

He had never intended to limit the information to within Class D, nor had he ever promised any "exclusive buyout."

After all, in this school where ability is supreme, information is the greatest bargaining chip, and the more people competing for a chip, the more valuable it becomes.

However, there was actually one more question buried deep in his heart.

That was, since it was information that had been deliberately blocked, where did Sakayanagi Arisu from Class A get this news?

050 If I punch her, she'll probably cry for a long time.

Wednesday, during the lunch break, the school cafeteria was filled with the aroma of food.

A male student from Class D of the second year rubbed his hands nervously, his eyes darting around: "Um... Ryuen-kun, I really appreciate you treating us to lunch... but..." his voice grew quieter, "I really don't have anything I can tell you..."

Ryuen Kakeru leaned back in his chair, his long fingers tapping lightly on the table, looking at him with a calm expression.

Before he could even speak, Ishizaki Daichi, who was burly and standing to the side, slammed his hand on the table with a "bang."

"Hey!" Ishizaki grabbed the other person by the collar, the veins on his muscular arm bulging, "Are you planning on eating for free!"

His roar caused the surrounding students to glance over. "You're telling me now that you have no information?"

"I... I didn't ask for it! You guys were the ones who came up to us!" The second-year senior tried to maintain his bravado, though his eyes couldn't help but glance at the surveillance camera in the corner of the ceiling. "Let go! There's surveillance here! Do you dare to try and lay a hand on me?"

Ishizaki's knuckles cracked as he clenched his fist, and it looked like he was about to swing—

"Ishizaki, calm down." Ryuen Kakeru's lazy voice rang out at the right moment. He stood up unhurriedly and pressed down lightly on Ishizaki's shoulder. "After all... this is our 'senior' here."

He deliberately emphasized the word "senior," a chilling smile hanging on the corners of his mouth.

"However..." Ryuen suddenly leaned close to the other person's ear and lowered his voice, "I might be able to stop him once, but that doesn't mean I can stop him every time. It's true that there's surveillance in the cafeteria..." His gaze swept pointedly toward the empty corridor outside the cafeteria, "But there are always places where the cameras can't see, right?"

"That's right!" Ishizaki shoved the senior's collar away and grinned hideously, "Do you think you can just get away with a free meal? Even if it costs me a disciplinary record, I'll make sure you learn your lesson today!"

The senior's face turned deathly pale. "Are you guys really from Class C? This style is even worse than Class D... Or is it! Because your points have been deducted to zero, you have nothing to fear?"

His voice trembled, and he added in a low whisper: "It's not that I don't want to tell you... if that person finds out... I'll never get a recommendation for higher education in my life!"

"You bastard—" Ishizaki lunged again, his fist already raised mid-air.

"Stop, Ishizaki." This time, Ryuen gripped his wrist firmly, the force so great that Ishizaki winced in pain.

Ryuen turned back to the senior, flashing a chillingly gentle smile: "How about this, let's take a step back. I understand your predicament..."

His voice suddenly dropped, carrying a seductive tone, "Just tell me who the man you're afraid of is, and provide a few key pieces of information, and I'll transfer fifty thousand points to you. A fair trade, isn't it?"

The senior's eyes darted around uncertainly.

After half a minute of silence, he finally spoke: "...It's Vice President Nagumo. Class A enjoys the best faculty, while the other classes can only transfer or graduate in disgrace! All four classes are rivals!" He suddenly realized he had said too much and clamped a hand over his mouth, "That, that's all I can say! So, where are my fifty thousand points?!"

Ryuen Kakeru suddenly revealed a mocking grin, slowly adjusting his cuffs: "Who said I was going to give you fifty thousand points?"

He tilted his head, feigning confusion as he looked at Ishizaki, "Ishizaki, did I say anything like that?"

Ishizaki caught on immediately, laughing along, "Hahaha, senior, you must be hearing things!"

"You... you guys!" The senior trembled with rage, his finger shaking as he pointed at Ryuen.

Ryuen suddenly dropped his smile, his eyes turning dangerous: "Get lost while I'm still in a good mood! Considering these few pieces of disjointed information... it's already an act of mercy that I'm not making you vomit up the food you've eaten."

The senior opened his mouth to argue, but after catching a glimpse of Ryuen's sinister gaze, he shuddered violently and finally scurried out of the cafeteria in a panic.

Ishizaki watched the senior's retreating back, scratching his head: "Ryuen, weren't we told this information by a 'kind soul' on the second day of school?"

Ryuen curled his lip in contempt: "He's just a piece of trash from Class D of the second year; squeezing even this much out of him was the limit." He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, then suddenly changed the subject: "Any progress on the Vice President Nagumo I asked you to look into?"

Ishizaki's expression turned grave: "I only know his full name is Nagumo Miyabi. But..." he lowered his voice, "every time I ask the second years, their faces turn ugly the moment that name is mentioned. So, other than his name, I can't find out anything else."

Ryuen narrowed his eyes, looking out the cafeteria window in deep thought: "To make the entire second year tremble in fear... he seems like an interesting opponent. But it's too early to challenge the second years yet... let's focus on understanding the rules and crushing the other classes first."

(What kind of game rules is this school hiding, anyway?)

In truth, from the very first day he stepped through the school gates, Ryuen had keenly sensed something abnormal.

Whether it was the school rule that "points can buy anything" or the meaningful hints from his homeroom teacher Sakagami Kazuma, everything convinced him that the school was deliberately concealing key information.

However, after days of investigation, from the mouths of those cowardly seniors, he had only managed to piece together a fragmented truth: this school indeed divided classes by ability, and the four classes were rivals—and that was all.