Classroom of the Elite, After the Intel Refreshed, They Always Want to Conquer Me! 31

Shimizu Akira gave her a meaningful look: "You and I aren't so different, are we? Don't tell me you genuinely want to work for the benefit of the entire class to reach Class A, rather than to prove something to your brother?"

Horikita Suzune was rendered speechless by this.

She had always prided herself on her sharp tongue, yet in front of this person, she felt like a raw recruit on the battlefield, hopelessly naive.

Every one of his sentences was like a precise scalpel, cutting straight to the vital point.

"However—" Shimizu Akira suddenly shifted his tone, a curve forming at the corner of his mouth, "as I said before, from now on, as long as it's a deal with Horikita-san... I can make an exception and give you a twenty percent discount."

He did indeed appreciate Horikita Suzune—both for her stubborn personality and her refined features.

But appreciation was one thing...

Business was business.

Not a single point could be deducted from what was owed, though he could offer a discount as a favor for their acquaintance.

This was Shimizu Akira's consistent way of dealing with the world.

"...You really do have nothing but deals on your mind!" Horikita Suzune's fingertips trembled with anger, and she instinctively clenched her fists.

She had already balled up her small hands, never expecting the other party to refuse so decisively.

But when her peripheral vision caught the solid lines of Shimizu Akira's arms, she forcibly suppressed the urge to lash out.

(I can't beat him; starting a fight would only bring trouble upon myself...)

In the end, she could only turn her head away with a cold face, letting out a huff through gritted teeth.

She couldn't win an argument, and she had no chance of winning a physical confrontation.

Facing a Shimizu Akira like this, she once again felt the frustration of being completely helpless.

(A deal? What do I even have to trade with him?)

Horikita Suzune gritted her teeth in secret.

With less than 30,000 points left in her account, they would soon be handed over as class fees—and in the end, it would all flow into Shimizu Akira's pocket!

Although she had never thought about avoiding the payment.

After all, for 25,000 points per person, obtaining such heavy-hitting information was indeed quite a bargain.

"...Friday at five-thirty," she emphasized coldly, "if you dare to be late, the tutoring is off!"

"Understood, I'll be there on time." Shimizu Akira nodded in agreement.

He had been worrying about his Japanese grades, so since someone was offering a helping hand, there was naturally no reason to refuse.

"Sigh..."

Just then, a barely audible sigh came from beside him.

Shimizu Akira glanced to the side and saw Sakura Airi clutching her notebook, her eyes flickering as she stole a glance at him before quickly lowering her head.

"What's wrong? Sakura-san," he asked casually.

"N-nothing!" Sakura Airi shook her head in a panic, her chin almost touching her chest, her earlobes turning red at a visible speed.

(She's peeking at me again...)

Shimizu Akira shifted his gaze away calmly.

He wasn't a man who jumped to conclusions, but the recent frequent glances from his desk mate were far too obvious.

—That cautious gaze was like a startled small animal, wanting to get closer yet ready to run away at any moment.

Especially when the other party peeked at him once or twice in almost every class, it was hard not to notice.

Shimizu Akira's gaze fell on the notebook Sakura Airi was clutching tightly. With his keen perception, he naturally guessed a thing or two.

"Could it be... that the notebook in your arms is meant for me to see?" he asked tentatively.

"Y-yes!" Sakura Airi shuddered as if her thoughts had been exposed, then nodded vigorously and handed the notebook over.

Opening the front cover, Shimizu Akira couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

From the very first class of the term, all the key points for Japanese had been neatly listed inside.

The notes were indeed detailed, though it felt as if the other party had simply copied the knowledge from the blackboard.

(Could it be that she isn't very good at studying either...! This content isn't really suitable for me, either.)

Compared to notes like these, he needed the kind of targeted tutoring Horikita Suzune could provide.

However, he wasn't so insensitive as to point that out to her face.

"This is a huge help; I'll be sure to refer to it." He closed the notebook and nodded politely.

He accepted this gesture, and the debt from when he had helped her out of a tight spot could be considered settled.

Sure enough, upon seeing Shimizu Akira accept the notebook, her expression relaxed significantly.

055 It feels like in Class D, these three are not beneath me

Shimizu Akira then placed the notebook on the desk, stood up, and prepared to head to the restroom.

But the moment he stood up, his gaze inadvertently swept across the other person's glasses.

(Huh? The image isn't distorted?)

(Could they be decorative glasses...)

The difference between decorative glasses and regular prescription glasses is quite obvious.

If someone with normal vision wears nearsighted glasses, the lenses would blur the field of vision, making it impossible to see the image behind the frames clearly.

Yet his line of sight was completely unobstructed—these glasses were likely just for show.

(Could it be... glasses that seal away one's beauty?!)

Countless works Shimizu Akira had seen in his past life flashed through his mind in an instant.

--There were simply too many examples; he couldn't even be bothered to list them one by one.

In school-themed stories, this kind of girl wearing plain, decorative glasses is nine times out of ten a standard trope used to hide her true beauty or a special identity.

(Like, she turns into a beautiful girl once she takes them off, or she actually has a split personality, or she's the young lady of some wealthy conglomerate...)

(Class D is truly full of hidden talents... there are just too many people playing the fool to catch the tiger.)

He couldn't help but list a few names in his mind:

--Ayanokouji Kiyotaka goes without saying; that guy's ability to play dumb is practically **-level, sometimes acting so much like a total amateur.

--Sakura Airi wears decorative glasses; she's a hidden powerhouse.

--Even Matsushita Chiaki, from that group of gyaru girls led by Karuizawa Kei, is highly suspicious. On the surface, she looks like a follower who just goes with the flow, but the seriousness with which she takes notes in class is no less than that of a top student.

What's even weirder is that he's recently been able to catch her secretly observing him and Ayanokouji, who was sitting nearby...

He had no idea what she was thinking.

(Especially this classmate Matsushita Chiaki... could she be downplaying her true strength?)

Shimizu Akira rubbed his chin and fell into deep thought.

That distant, observant manner, along with the sharp glint that occasionally appeared in her eyes, meant her strength might not be below that of Ayanokouji or Koenji.

(As expected, the waters in Class D are still too deep...)

When Shimizu Akira returned from the restroom, his phone suddenly vibrated.

He swiped the screen and found that the homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae, had already transferred 25,000 private points.

The transfer note contained only a few brief words: [Class Fund].

(That was fast...)

With a light tap of his finger on the screen, he accepted the transfer without hesitation.

After all, this was the condition they had agreed upon—the class fund this time should be covered by her.

(Looks like the vote-soliciting phase has come to an end...)

After Shimizu Akira walked back to his seat, he noticed that the crowd originally surrounding Hirata Yosuke and Kushida Kikyou had mostly dispersed.

He scanned them nonchalantly—the two small circles that had gathered a dozen people just moments ago now only had a few die-hard fans left, still chatting enthusiastically.

On Hirata's side, it was mostly girls; several of them were blushing as they asked him for advice. Around Kushida, there were mostly boys, with some even eagerly helping her hold her notebook.

The two of them were evenly matched in popularity, which perfectly aligned with the impression he had in his memory.

At this moment, Kushida Kikyou walked over with her signature sweet smile, "Can I bother you two for a moment?"

She blinked her watery eyes and pleaded, "Shimizu-kun, Horikita-san, please! Could you transfer the class fund to me? Your two votes are very important support for me."

"No problem." Shimizu Akira nodded readily, then changed the subject, "Though, I did suddenly think of a question. I wonder if Kushida-san could answer it for me?"

"Mm! Of course I can!" Kushida Kikyou folded her hands in front of her chest, tilted her head slightly, and wore an expectant expression, "What would you like to ask?"

"What specific authority does a vice-class representative have in the class? Or rather... did Chabashira-sensei promise any special treatment if you two are elected as class officers?"

This question had been circling in his mind for a long time.

Why were these two so actively collecting class funds? Even though they wouldn't get a single point out of it in the end.

Kushida Kikyou's smile seemed to stiffen for a split second, but she quickly returned to normal.

"About that..." She tapped her chin with her index finger, appearing to think, "Actually, the teacher didn't give any special benefits. It's just that I feel since the teacher chose me as the vice-class representative, I should serve everyone well~"

Shimizu Akira couldn't help but narrow his eyes.

(Great! I shouldn't have asked her!)

(But judging by her tone, it doesn't seem like she's lying.)

(To work so hard just because the teacher gave you the position of vice-class representative—what a total workhorse!)

Afterward, he transferred the 25,000 points in full.

To him, it didn't matter who he transferred these points to, and it didn't matter who became the class representative.

They were just the points Chabashira Sae had sent him earlier anyway.

After all, the one million points that truly mattered were already safely in his pocket.

"Thank you so much, Shimizu-kun! I definitely won't let your expectations down and will lead Class D well!" Kushida Kikyou took out her phone, and looking at the transfer Shimizu Akira had sent, she couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.

Following that, she turned her gaze toward Horikita Suzune.

"I don't intend to vote for you."

Horikita's response was crisp and decisive, completely within Shimizu Akira's expectations.

In fact, ever since the first day of school, Horikita Suzune's aversion to Kushida Kikyou had been obvious.

To be more precise, this maverick girl maintained an equal level of detachment from all her classmates.

Kushida Kikyou's repeated attempts to strike up a conversation had only made Horikita Suzune's dislike for her grow stronger—much like a vampire forced to accept sunlight, she only craved the shelter of darkness all the more.

However, this time Horikita Suzune glanced at Shimizu Akira, and when she spoke again, although her tone remained blunt, it had softened considerably: "...I intend to vote for Hirata Yosuke. He is more suited for the position of class representative than you are."

Although Horikita Suzune's words were still direct to the point of being harsh, at least—this was the first time she had frankly expressed her opinion to a classmate.

Shimizu Akira raised an eyebrow, his expression unmoving.

It seems yesterday's lecture had some effect after all...

Kushida Kikyou nodded with a smile, "Of course, I completely respect Horikita-san's choice! Hirata-kun is indeed very excellent as well~"

Her gaze drifted between the two of them, finally resting on Horikita Suzune's slightly tense face, "However, if you change your mind in the future, you can come to me anytime!"

These words were spoken flawlessly, demonstrating both tolerance and generosity while leaving a path open for herself.

"You could learn a thing or two about emotional intelligence from Kushida-san in the future."

"...I could never learn that level of fake smiling in my entire life."

056 Heading to the Student Council to Cooperate with the President

Shimizu Akira was pulled into a chat group.

This group was gathered with everyone who had previously voted for Kushida Kikyou.