Classroom of the Elite, After the Intel Refreshed, They Always Want to Conquer Me! 35

Has this Kushida-san been watching too many band-themed anime lately?

Anyone who didn't know better would think she was forming some kind of high-society, make-believe five-piece band.

"I will definitely give Kushida-san my full support!"

"That's right! There's no one else fit to be class representative this month but Kushida-san!"

However, this passionate declaration from Kushida Kikyou clearly struck a chord with the excitement of most people present, and enthusiastic applause instantly erupted throughout the cafe.

In particular, those two clowns, Yamauchi Haruki and Ike Kanji, were clapping so hard their palms turned bright red, looking exactly like two fanatical fans who had just met their idol.

(...So... this "community of destiny" of ours is bound to disband in the future, right? After all, that's the tragic fate of the last band.)

Shimizu Akira fought the urge to cover his face, catching a glimpse of Ayanokouji Kiyotaka out of the corner of his eye, who was clapping mechanically to the rhythm, his poker face showing not a hint of emotional fluctuation.

(This guy is actually playing along with the performance too...)

(Should I call him professional or... just indifferent?)

Kushida Kikyou continued with her hands folded on the table, her tone sincere: "First, I want to clarify that although Hirata-kun and I are rivals for the position of class representative, we are both doing this for the betterment of the class. I hope everyone won't hold any grudges against Hirata-kun just because you support me."

"As expected of Kushida-san! This magnanimity is truly admirable!"

"Exactly! If it weren't for the fact that Hirata always acts like such a 'normie,' I wouldn't have chosen to join Kushida-san's side either!"

The students chimed in one after another, their tones filled with nothing but reverence for Kushida.

Kushida Kikyou smoothed out her skirt, "As vice class representative, I hope everyone will respect some basic principles."

She held up a slender finger, her tone suddenly turning serious: "The first rule, regarding those hidden rules—" her gaze swept slowly over everyone present, "must, absolutely must not be leaked to other classes. After all, in terms of the system, every class is in a competitive relationship."

Then she held up a second finger: "The second rule, I hope everyone will strictly follow the student code of conduct from now on." Her voice carried a hint of earnestness, "We cannot afford to have our precious class points deducted for disciplinary infractions anymore."

"Understood! We are from Class D, after all!" Ike Kanji shouted, patting his chest, his face filled with a sense of mission.

Yamauchi Haruki immediately followed up: "That's right! How could we let such important information benefit other classes! You have to realize this is information we bought with a whole million private points!"

"You two should worry about your own attendance first!" a girl couldn't help but interject, "In the first week of school alone, who knows how many class points were deducted because of you two!"

"Hey, hey, you can't blame that all on us, right?" Yamauchi Haruki retorted, unconvinced, "Doesn't that guy Kouenji also show up late all the time? How come no one says anything to him!"

Kushida Kikyou's brow furrowed imperceptibly, but she quickly replaced it with a soothing smile: "Alright, alright, let bygones be bygones. The important thing is that from now on, everyone must strictly follow the school rules~"

Immediately after, Kushida glanced at the time on her phone and pressed her hands together in a gesture of apology: "It's getting late, and I have one last small personal request..." She bowed solemnly to everyone, "I hope you can help me win over those who haven't voted for Hirata-kun yet."

"Eh~ is there any reward?" a boy shouted, half-jokingly.

"Yeah, give us some motivation~" others chimed in.

Yamauchi Haruki even jumped up: "If I could go on a date with Kushida-san, I'd definitely be full of motivation!"

Kushida's cheeks flushed slightly, and after a moment of hesitation, she bit her lower lip: "O-okay... whoever gets the most votes is the winner. As a reward for the winner, if it's a single boy, I can agree to go on one date with them..." She hurriedly added, "If it's a girl, I'll give an additional 80,000 private points as a thank you!"

(She's actually using conditions like this...)

(She's really going all out.)

Shimizu Akira couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

The boys around them were already boiling over, like a pack of sharks that had smelled blood.

There was quite a bit of discussion among the girls as well; after all, 80,000 points was not a small number—it was enough for an average student to live comfortably for several days.

"Then let's end it here for today. If anyone has any questions, feel free to contact me in the group chat." After Kushida Kikyou announced the dismissal, she suddenly called out to Shimizu Akira, who was preparing to leave: "Um... Shimizu-kun, could we talk for a moment?"

Noticing the suspicious gazes from the boys around them, she quickly waved her hands to explain: "Don't misunderstand, everyone! It's just because Shimizu-kun is on good terms with Kouenji-kun, and I wanted to ask him to help me lobby for votes~"

The boys, who had been somewhat restless, immediately quieted down upon hearing the name "Kouenji Rokusuke"—after all, that guy had indeed publicly stated last week that he owed Shimizu Akira a favor.

After the others had left the cafe one by one, Kushida Kikyou sat down gently across from Shimizu Akira, her hands folded uneasily on her lap.

"Shimizu-kun..." Her voice was a few notches lower than usual, "Um... can I give you all the people I've found?"

Shimizu Akira was just about to politely decline—he really had no reason to get involved in this mess.

To his surprise, she hadn't mentioned Kouenji Rokusuke at all.

(Giving me people? Does this mean she's already decided on me?)

062 Kushida Kikyou: Bastard! You're the worst! Your head is full of nothing but points!

Kushida Kikyou was determined to secure the position of class representative.

She had already calculated every step of this election with absolute precision.

The boys' rowdiness was entirely within her expectations—or rather, it was the exact result of her careful guidance.

If a boy was the winner, Kushida Kikyou would go on a date with him.

If a girl was the winner, Kushida would pay 80,000 private points as a token of gratitude.

However! Kushida Kikyou was only saying that with her lips.

Those boys who drooled over her made her sick; how could she ever genuinely go on a date with them?

But likewise, 80,000 points was not a sum she could easily hand over to someone else.

In the end, this competition was nothing more than a pie in the sky drawn to stimulate the students' motivation.

She could not possibly sacrifice any of them.

But she couldn't afford any slip-ups either; after all, the other students weren't fools.

Almost instantly, she hit upon the optimal solution: find a suitable collaborator.

Preferably a boy—when the other boys saw them interacting intimately, they would work even harder for her next time.

A perfect candidate immediately sprang to mind—Shimizu Akira.

The reason? It couldn't be more compelling.

First, he was easy on the eyes.

His tall, sturdy frame and handsome features fit her aesthetic perfectly.

Although Kushida Kikyou treated everyone with gentleness on the surface, her standards for the opposite sex were anything but low.

Second, being around him was effortless.

Last time by the pool, his natural, easygoing compliments had made her feel genuinely pleased for once.

After all, she spent every day carefully catering to others; it was rare to have a conversation where she didn't have to overthink every word.

Third, he was simple and easy to control.

He was a total pushover with a pure heart, making him the perfect partner for her scheme.

Of course, there was one more crucial point—she could use this opportunity to pry information about Horikita Suzune out of him.

"Um... actually, this is a little selfish of me~" Kushida Kikyou lowered her head slightly, a shy blush creeping onto her cheeks as her long eyelashes fluttered. "I hope you can keep this a secret, Shimizu-kun? Because... in my heart, I really want to see you win."

She looked up with her big, watery eyes, offering a sweet, slightly timid smile.

Perfect!

She curled the corners of her mouth in triumph.

This was her specialty—first, creating a sense of intimacy by sharing a "secret," then using the tactic of "wanting the other person to win" to close the distance.

With her status as the class beauty, surely anyone would soften and agree to such a whispered, slightly illicit-feeling request combined with a display of vulnerability?

However, the other party's reaction was completely unexpected.

Shimizu just rubbed his chin thoughtfully and pointed out the truth with surgical precision: "...This sounds like you're trying to rig the results."

"Cough... N-no, it's not rigging!" Kushida waved her hands in a panic, her voice rising involuntarily before she immediately reverted to her pitiful tone. "I'm just... a little scared of the way the other boys look at me..."

"But on Monday at the pool," Shimizu interrupted her calmly, "I didn't see you showing any such concerns."

This sharp rebuttal left Kushida speechless, her meticulously crafted lines stuck in her throat.

Kushida Kikyou's smile froze for a second, but she quickly recovered her innocent, guileless expression.

She tilted her head slightly, saying in a tone of mild grievance: "Shimizu-kun, really... I'm clearly looking out for you, so why do you always insist on thinking of me as a bad person?"

She tightened her fingers behind her back, her nails digging into her palms.

How had this Shimizu Akira suddenly become so difficult to deal with?

Back at the pool, he had been saying things that made her happy just to please her.

Why the sudden change in personality?

I hate this!

"...Kushida-san." Shimizu Akira suddenly spread his hands. "Let's stop playing games. If you want to rig it, fine—eighty thousand points, flat rate."

"..."

Kushida Kikyou lowered her head deeply, her mouth twitching violently beneath the shadow of her bangs.

(This bastard!!!)

(He's actually asking me for points?)

(Could it be that even those pleasant words by the pool... were just a setup for this little act?!)

(Otherwise, I wouldn't have chosen to approach him today!)

This thought made her anger flare up even higher for no reason.

"Shimizu-kun..." She suddenly blossomed into a sweet smile, though her tone carried a subtle edge. "Demanding points so suddenly doesn't really seem to fit your character."

Shimizu Akira shrugged indifferently: "I've always been like this. Equivalent exchange, a fair trade."

He immediately followed up with a look of confusion: "Though, Kushida-san... what kind of person did you think I was, exactly?"

Without waiting for her answer, Shimizu Akira turned away decisively: "Anyway, if you want my help, you have to pay something, otherwise forget it."

Watching his retreating back, Kushida Kikyou couldn't suppress the inexplicable agitation in her heart—a mix of annoyance at her plan being disrupted, and a trace of something indescribable... disappointment?

(How can I just let him walk away like this!)

If she let the person who had seen through her plan just walk off, and he revealed the truth about the rigging, the people in the class would surely look at her with contempt—and the perfect image she had painstakingly cultivated in Class D would collapse completely.

She glanced at the scattered customers in the nearby cafe, forcing herself to maintain a sweet smile.

In a public place like this, she could neither lose her temper nor take more drastic measures.

"...Shimizu-kun," she hurried to catch up to the boy who had already reached the door, her voice so soft that only the two of them could hear it, "as long as you agree to keep this secret and become my collaborator..." Her long eyelashes fluttered gently, "eighty thousand points, or a date with m..."

"Fine, let's go with the eighty thousand points."

His response, delivered without a moment's hesitation, made her breath hitch.

Shimizu Akira didn't even turn around, merely waving his phone, the screen clearly displaying the transfer interface.

(That bastard... his head is truly filled with nothing but points!)

Kushida Kikyou was currently feeling incredibly grim.

(...Even if he agreed to this, it's only a verbal promise! I don't trust him to keep his word at all. What if he accidentally or intentionally reveals it to other students later?)

(When it comes down to it... I don't trust him at all! I don't trust anyone! I only trust the dark secrets others hold!)

(But I don't know his dark secrets yet, so I have no way to get a handle on him!)

Kushida Kikyou's nails nearly pierced her palms as a dangerous thought flashed through her mind—

(Since he doesn't have any dark secrets, can't I just manufacture them myself?)

But she immediately shook her head to herself: (No, it's not worth going that far...)

(At the end of the day, this is just a small trick for the election. Is it worth going to such lengths? I've never done anything like that before!)

063 I'll leave a handprint on your clothes.

Shimizu Akira was completely unaware of the dark thoughts churning in the girl behind him.

In his view, Kushida's reaction was perfectly normal—smart people always loathe uncertainty, just like how they hate opponents who don't play by the rules when playing chess.

These types of people always want to keep the initiative firmly in their own hands, designing even collaborations to be one-sided exploitation.

(But there's no such thing as a free lunch in this world, is there?)

Shimizu Akira toyed with his phone, his gaze calmly fixed on the school goddess before him.

(She's clearly an impeccable, beautiful girl...)