"..." Ken Sudō followed right behind him, leaving the classroom without looking back.
Karuizawa Kei's gal group did the same.
She was excitedly discussing tonight's karaoke plans with Matsushita Chiaki, Mori Nene, and the others, breaking into bell-like laughter now and then. Clearly, she wasn't thinking about the class funds at all.
As Shimizu Akira watched her thoughtfully, Karuizawa Kei suddenly noticed his gaze.
Her slender fingers twitched. Looking somewhat flustered, she snatched up her phone and rapidly tapped at the screen.
"Ding—"
Shimizu Akira's phone chimed. He glanced down and saw two messages appear in succession:
[Karuizawa Kei: I absolutely will not compromise on the class funds! Don't overthink it, Shimizu!]
Another message hurriedly followed:
[Karuizawa Kei: ...I'll transfer you my points every month on time! You can count on that!]
Her words practically reeked of nervousness, as if she were trying too hard to cover something up. The exclamation mark at the end was especially emphatic, as though she meant to make her resolve leap off the screen.
053—If I Didn't Have Shimizu Akira to Protect Me...
In fact, when she learned that next month's Class Points would be converted into Private Points at a ratio of 100 to 1, Karuizawa Kei was probably the most panicked person in the class.
(What?! So we don't get a fixed hundred thousand points every month after all?!)
Just last Friday, she had reached a secret protection agreement with Shimizu Akira: she would pay him eighty thousand points each month in exchange for his protection within the class.
It should have been a perfect deal. Who could have guessed that just a few days later, she would already feel unable to afford his fees?
(It's all because of that new limited-edition makeup! And that fancy restaurant meal over the weekend...)
She stole a glance at her phone balance. The glaring "2500" made her stomach cramp.
Forget twenty-five thousand—she couldn't even scrape together three thousand points now.
"Kei, what's wrong? You look a little pale," Matsushita Chiaki asked, leaning over with concern.
"N-nothing~" She forced herself to put on her trademark sweet smile, though her fingers gripped her phone case so tightly it creaked.
That was the price of being a top-tier gal: she had to keep up her polished image and never show weakness, even when she was strapped for cash.
But the truth was, her empty wallet wasn't the only thing making her panic.
(If I didn't have Shimizu Akira to protect me...)
Karuizawa Kei was nothing like the solitary Horikita Suzune.
She knew better than anyone that she was like a vine clinging to a host—a parasite. Without someone to protect her, she couldn't even sleep peacefully at this school.
(Eighty thousand points... I need at least eighty thousand...)
Her fingers unconsciously rubbed the ugly scar on her abdomen as she calculated over and over in her mind.
The class had started with one hundred thousand points, but she had used her phone in class dozens of times over the past two weeks.
And then there were those two idiots, Yamauchi and Kanji Ike. Who knew how many Class Points had been deducted just for their truancy?
(If we can hold on to six hundred, I'll thank my lucky stars... No, better be conservative. Half of that! I'm not greedy at all!)
Five hundred. That meant she'd get at most fifty thousand Private Points at the end of the month—thirty thousand short of the promised amount.
The figure made her stomach seize up, and even her old injury began to ache.
"You're looking awfully pale..."
"I'm fine~ I probably just stayed up too late watching shows last night." She forced a smile at Matsushita.
When she caught sight of Shimizu Akira's probing gaze in her peripheral vision, she snatched up her phone on reflex. Only after sending the messages did she realize how suspiciously defensive she'd been.
(Oh no... He's definitely figured it out...)
(If I run out of points, will he abandon me next month?)
Cold sweat trickled down her back.
The constant fear of losing her footing made her temples throb. Even breathing had become difficult.
(She's probably broke, but still trying to keep up appearances!)
(She doesn't want me to know she's run out of points...)
Shimizu Akira glanced at her discreetly, then looked away.
On the first day of school, he had received one hundred thousand points, and she had transferred eighty thousand to him.
Add in all her spending over the past few days...
She probably didn't have much left.
Still, Shimizu Akira had no intention of getting involved.
He wasn't close enough to that girl to meddle in her affairs.
It wasn't like his relationship with Horikita Suzune, who sat next to him.
Horikita Suzune did have a difficult personality, but she was surprisingly reliable when it came to their exchanges.
She had always given him the agreed-upon return for every point he'd paid.
The eighty thousand points from their last deal had been no exception.
Neither had this time's deal: sixteen thousand points in exchange for Japanese tutoring.
"...Friday after school, five-thirty, in the library. I'll tutor you in Japanese~"
Speak of the devil. Horikita Suzune suddenly turned toward him, her voice slightly hoarse.
Shimizu Akira couldn't help taking a closer look at her.
The girl had dark circles under her eyes, and it was obvious she hadn't slept well last night.
Even so, she hadn't forgotten to honor their agreement.
"Let's put the tutoring aside for now..." Shimizu Akira paused, then raised a question that was nothing new but struck right to the heart of the matter. "What do you think about being placed in Class D this time?"
Horikita Suzune's gaze sharpened. After a long silence, she spoke slowly. "...Although I'm very unhappy about it, from what I can see, the school's class-placement system is fair and reasonable."
The events of last night, when she had tossed and turned in bed, came back to her.
Shimizu Akira's words—"Your brother doesn't stand alone, either"—had pierced through her stubbornness like a sharp blade.
For the first time, she had even messaged Horikita Manabu to ask if it was true.
Her brother's brief reply was still on her phone screen: [Tachibana Akane is indeed an indispensable ally of mine in the Student Council.]
She knew that neither her brother nor the boy before her ever lied.
After a sleepless night of struggle, Horikita Suzune had finally figured out three things:
First, she had to admit that being placed in Class D was only natural.
—Her ability to work with others was practically nonexistent, and her social skills were even worse.
Like the class's maverick, Kouenji Rokusuke, she was highly capable but deliberately shunned by most of her classmates.
She had heard the rumors about the two of them.
Horikita Suzune was no fool.
She felt the rejection and contempt in the looks people gave her more keenly than anyone.
(If things keep going like this...)
Not only would her brother reject her completely, but even Shimizu Akira might—
The thought made her bite down on her lower lip.
But she would sooner take such thoughts to her grave than tell Shimizu Akira about them.
It was her own stubborn little secret.
As for the second thing, she would start with Class D and personally raise it to the level of Class A.
Since fate had placed her in the lowest class, all she could do was lead this rabble in earning Class Points, climbing step by step until they reached Class A.
It was both a promise to her brother and a matter of pride. She couldn't allow herself to become worthless dead weight at the bottom. Besides, Class A meant more Private Points. If she stayed in Class D, even living an ordinary life would become difficult.
No matter what, reaching Class A had become her most important goal for now.
As for the third thing, she needed to find someone she could trust to help her.
Her brother understood the value of relying on others, so there was no reason for her to insist on doing everything alone.
She would do what her brother did!
She cast aside once and for all her childish ideas about "never relying on anyone."
Once the sun came up, she would leave yesterday behind.
This was the first day Horikita Suzune began to change.
054—You Really Do Think About Nothing but Deals!
"Shimizu..."
Horikita Suzune suddenly extended her slender hand, holding it out in midair as it trembled slightly.
Shimizu Akira stared at the hand that had appeared without warning. He was stunned for a moment before realizing—was she asking to shake hands?
(Out of nowhere... Is she apologizing for last night?)
Since the girl had offered her hand, he had no reason to refuse.
As he gently took it, he noticed that her fingertips were cold and her hand was a whole size smaller than his.
His palm easily enveloped all four of her fingers.
"Horikita, you don't have to do this. I've already put last night behind me." As he spoke, Shimizu Akira gently shook her little hand.
"...Who said I was apologizing to you?!" Horikita Suzune abruptly pulled her hand away, her ears turning red as she glared at him. "I'm inviting you to be my one and only partner! The handshake is how we seal our agreement. Do you accept?"
She hadn't expected Shimizu Akira to take her hand so readily.
Under normal circumstances, a boy would at least hesitate before such unexpected physical contact.
(So he really is an adolescent boy... He wouldn't pass up a chance to get close to any girl.)
The realization irritated her for some reason.
What bothered her even more was why this guy had assumed she was apologizing.
"...What do you want me to help you with?" Shimizu Akira slowly drew his hand back.
He could sense trouble coming. He could only hope his instincts were wrong.
"Help me," Horikita Suzune said, looking him straight in the eye. She spoke slowly and deliberately. "Raise Class D to Class A."
If her brother had Tachibana Akane by his side, there was no reason for her to keep fighting alone.
Looking around the classroom, Shimizu Akira was the only person whose abilities and character she respected.
—And besides, her brother had told her to learn from him about how to deal with people.
So this invitation couldn't have been more fitting.
"I refuse."
Shimizu Akira cut her off flatly, without even waiting for Horikita Suzune to finish.
Seeing her expression darken at once, he sighed and explained:
"How many times have I told you? I have no interest in doing something so thankless. Class A holds no appeal for me."
His goal was perfectly clear: he only needed to graduate from this school without a hitch.
Which class he graduated from didn't matter at all.
(As long as I have enough points...)
He just wanted to enjoy his three years at school in peace.
Why invite trouble by chasing an empty sense of class pride?
"...That's a very pragmatic way of thinking," Horikita Suzune said despite herself.
Before you continue