Classroom of the Elite, I Can Add Points Infinitely Chapter 43

Now that he was out walking with Ryuen, his phone suddenly chimed. Even if he had wanted to hide the message and consider it carefully later, he had no chance to do so.

He had to find a way to clear his name right now; otherwise, he would be punished by Ryuen as a traitor despite having done nothing at all. That would be far too unjust!

Seeing Ishizaki Daichi looking so nervous, Ryuen Kakeru actually calmed down. He spat on the ground in annoyance and said, "What are you panicking about? This is obviously a wedge-driving tactic by Aragaki Shun. Get your head straight. Do you really think you're valuable enough for Class A to spend 20 million points to transfer you?"

Ishizaki Daichi shook his head frantically, trying his best to show his loyalty, "No, no, no!!! I know that. A loser like me can only be put to good use in the hands of boss Ryuen. An environment like Class A wouldn't suit me at all."

"Hmph! At least you have some self-awareness."

Ryuen Kakeru snorted coldly. He handed the phone back to Ishizaki Daichi and said in a chilling tone, "Does that guy Aragaki Shun really think such a simple provocation would work?"

Just then, Yamada Albert, who was standing on the other side of Ryuen Kakeru, also handed over his phone. "Ryuen, I have one too."

The face of the Class C tyrant turned pitch black instantly. Looking at the message on Albert's phone—which had only a few words changed—and the same transfer of 10,000 Private Points, a sense of foreboding rose in his heart.

Damn it, could that bastard have dumped 10,000 Private Points on everyone in Class C?

Just as he guessed this possibility, another message arrived on his phone. Ryuen Kakeru took a look, and sure enough, it was that same bastard.

[Aragaki Shun]: "I wonder if student Ryuen is clear-headed now? If you are, please come to the Class A classroom. There is a deal that needs to be signed. If you don't come, bear the consequences."

Looking at the arrogant threat in the message, Ryuen Kakeru clenched his fists so tightly that Ishizaki Daichi and Yamada Albert held their breath, fearing he would snap and take his rage out on them.

After several minutes passed, a cool breeze blew by. Ryuen Kakeru finally relaxed his body and instead let out a wild, maniacal laugh. "Good! Good! Good! This school really doesn't let one get bored!"

"Ishizaki, Yamada, let's go! Let me see what this 'bear the consequences' is all about!"

"Yes! Boss Ryuen!"

Ishizaki Daichi responded hurriedly, while Yamada Albert just followed silently behind.

Ryuen Kakeru walked toward the school building with a sinister look in his eyes, his mind racing to figure out where his recent actions might have gone wrong.

He did indeed believe in using violence to dominate others, but every time he used it, he was careful about his surroundings and never left behind any evidence.

Therefore, he didn't think Aragaki Shun could find any leverage to threaten him.

However, after their recent games of strategy, he knew that Aragaki Shun was definitely not the type to spout nonsense. If the other party said this, he must have overlooked something.

But what exactly could it be...

Meanwhile, inside the Class A classroom for first-years, Ryuen Kakeru and his group from Class C had not yet arrived, but Aragaki Shun was already receiving another batch of guests.

"Yosuke Hirata, Kikyo Kushida, and Kei Karuizawa."

Aragaki Shun recited the names of the three central figures of Class D whom he had specifically asked to be summoned. "I did indeed invite the three of you, but what is the meaning of this extra, irrelevant person?"

"I don't recall inviting you to this transaction, Suzune Horikita?"

Aragaki Shun looked speechlessly at the girl with long black hair radiating a cold aura in front of him. What was this girl doing, showing up on her own accord?

The three people whose names he had called out also looked awkward. Kikyo Kushida explained apologetically, "I'm sorry, Aragaki-kun, but Horikita-san said she wanted to come along no matter what, so could you..."

However, the Horikita-san she mentioned didn't seem to appreciate the girl's good intentions. Before Kikyo Kushida could finish, she spoke up as if it were only natural:

"You specifically invited the influential people of Class D, so you must be wanting to discuss something in detail, right?"

"As a member of Class D, I naturally have the right to sit here. If you are planning to use those unreasonable contracts to plunder Class D's Private Points again, give up. I will absolutely not be fooled again!"

Aragaki Shun: "..."

It wasn't just Aragaki Shun; even Ryuji Kanzaki and Honami Ichinose beside him were looking at the self-important Suzune Horikita with awkward expressions.

Wasn't this student in front of them a loner in Class D?

Could she not understand that the reason Aragaki Shun didn't call her was because her opinion was completely irrelevant?

"Suzune Horikita, is it?"

Aragaki Shun rested his elbows on the table, clasped his hands together, and looked at Suzune Horikita with a strange expression.

"Although I haven't had much interaction with the Student Council President, Manabu Horikita, he has been able to lead the third-years and maintain Class A's lead over the other classes. His ability is quite impressive."

"So, as the younger sister of Manabu Horikita, could you please stop lowering my evaluation of the Student Council President with your foolish remarks?"

"What did you say?!!"

Suzune Horikita stood up abruptly as if triggered, staring at Aragaki Shun with an incredibly ugly expression.

The others were also shocked by this sudden revelation, all of them staring at the long-haired girl in disbelief.

"Horikita-san is actually the Student Council President's sister?"

Kei Karuizawa looked somewhat envious. "No way, that Horikita who is always all alone actually has an older brother who is the leader of the third-year Class A and the Student Council President?"

"Ahaha... this is really surprising. I thought it was just a coincidence that you shared the same surname."

Kikyo Kushida's sweet and cute smile was starting to crack.

Thanks to his talent, Aragaki Shun could faintly sense that Kikyo had become infinitely more dangerous in this moment.

However, as a girl who could use her public persona to befriend students from every class in the Advanced Nurturing High School, Kikyo Kushida's change lasted less than a second before she quickly shifted back to a look of normal surprise.

Aragaki Shun couldn't help but marvel at this acting skill.

90. Class D being fleeced for the third time; Suzune Horikita is not important.

"I am who I am, and the Student Council President is the Student Council President. Regardless of how you found out about this, every action I take stems from my own volition and has absolutely nothing to do with him."

Horikita Suzune didn't even bother to acknowledge the reactions of Kushida Kikyo and the others. The girl simply stared daggers at Aragaki Shun, gritting her teeth as she emphasized, "If you're trying to evaluate the Student Council President based on my actions, I suggest you stop wasting your time. Compared to an incompetent younger sister like me, the Student Council President's capabilities are far beyond your imagination."

The thought that she might be lowering her brother's reputation was something Horikita Suzune absolutely could not tolerate.

It was precisely for this reason that she had been so furious upon learning the distribution criteria for the four classes, A through D.

To think that the leader of the prestigious Class A, the Student Council President who stood at the very pinnacle of the student body at Kodo Ikusei Senior High School, had a younger sister in Class D whom the school labeled as a defective product... If this were to be widely publicized, she would undoubtedly become a stain on her brother's record, or even be used as leverage to attack him.

Such a thing, such a thing... was absolutely unacceptable!

However, Aragaki Shun remained noncommittal toward the girl's overly emotional outburst.

He simply replied in a nonchalant tone, "I don't know how capable Manabu Horikita is, but what I do know is that you, Horikita-san, are currently redundant."

"Is barging in uninvited the kind of etiquette the Student Council President taught you?"

During the club orientation, Aragaki Shun had noticed her for the first time due to her inexplicable hostility.

Later, upon discovering she was the Student Council President's sister, he had initially wondered if she possessed some hidden talent.

But after observing her for a short while, he immediately dismissed that notion—the school hadn't placed her in Class D for any other reason; it was simply because she was only at that level.

If one looked solely at her written grades and athletic ability, Horikita Suzune was indeed quite capable in those fundamental areas.

However, she lacked the empathy and teamwork skills required for interpersonal relationships, and she always looked down on others when interacting with them. Because of this, even after more than a month of school, the girl still hadn't integrated into the Class D group—or rather, she had never even intended to.

But the problem was, if you've decided to be a lone wolf who walks your own path, why do you feel entitled to demand that others follow your orders and attempt to interfere with the class's overall affairs?

Watching the still-defiant girl with long black hair, Aragaki Shun shook his head helplessly and said bluntly, "To know others is wisdom; to know oneself is enlightenment. It seems Horikita-san possesses neither."

"If you believe you are qualified to participate in this transaction between Class A and Class D, then tell me: which group in Class D can you represent, and how many people are willing to follow the decisions you make?"

Horikita Suzune, still fuming from Aragaki Shun's assessment, froze.

No matter how highly she thought of herself, the girl wasn't completely oblivious to her own situation in the class.

After all, in Horikita Suzune's eyes, the people in Class D were idiots who couldn't even handle the most obvious tasks and failed open-book exams.

If they were willing to follow her instructions, they wouldn't have been docked down to a mere 310 points in the Behavioral Standards Exam.

If she really had to find one student in Class D she was certain she could command, would Ayanokoji Kiyotaka count?

As long as she pulled out a compass to use as a weapon, he would obediently follow her instructions.

"Nothing to say?" Aragaki Shun looked at the silent Horikita Suzune and waved his hand impatiently. "Then I'll trouble this irrelevant classmate to keep her mouth shut for the rest of this conversation and stop wasting my time."

Everyone has the right to choose their own way of life, so simply preferring to be alone is not a major issue.

The key is that if you choose to be a lone wolf, then go amuse yourself in solitude; don't keep popping up to cause trouble for others.

Your strength isn't great enough to complete group tasks on your own, nor can you influence group decisions through personal prestige... Since you can't do any of those things, trying to meddle in group affairs just shows how little self-awareness you have.

Having said that, Aragaki Shun stopped paying attention to the rattled Horikita Suzune and turned to Kushida Kikyo, Yosuke Hirata, and Karuizawa Kei, stating bluntly, "The content we are about to discuss concerns whether anyone in Class D will be expelled during the Midterm Exam. Are you sure you want to keep testing my patience?"

Yosuke Hirata's expression turned solemn. To him, maintaining the atmosphere in the class was more important than anything else; he absolutely could not let anyone in Class D be expelled because of the Midterm Exam.

"Um, Horikita-san, could you please sit down for now?"

Hirata took a deep breath and looked at Horikita Suzune. "There are quite a few students in the class on the verge of failing, and there are less than three weeks left until the Midterm Exam. Even if we start study sessions now, it might not be enough. We truly need help from Aragaki-kun."

"Please, Horikita-san," Kushida Kikyo said, clasping her hands in a cute, pleading gesture. "Let's just calm down for now. We can talk about whatever it is back in the classroom; let's get the important business done first."

"Only you two could put up with her foul temper."

Karuizawa Kei shook her head, offering a blunt taunt. "Nobody invited her, yet she had the nerve to tag along, and now she's getting into an argument with Aragaki-kun. Horikita, are you here on purpose just to stir up trouble?"

"Aragaki-kun, don't mind her. Horikita is like this back in Class D too—always ignoring the mood and throwing tantrums, making things awkward for everyone."

Ignoring the cold glare Horikita Suzune shot her way, Karuizawa Kei tossed her tea-colored high ponytail and flashed a sweet, obedient smile at Aragaki Shun, doing her best to show off her cute side.

Among the four from Class D present, her academic ability was the lowest, and she was the only one who truly needed to worry about being expelled for failing the Midterm Exam.

Therefore, she was the one least willing to let this conversation fall apart.

Not to mention, she had been thinking for days about how to latch onto Aragaki Shun and make him willing to be the host she could parasitize.

If putting down Horikita Suzune could win Aragaki Shun's favor, she wouldn't mind kicking her while she was down; after all, it was necessary to maintain her "gyaru" persona.

Clenching her fists tightly, no matter how unwilling she was, Horikita Suzune had no choice but to suppress her anger and sit down.

"Um, Aragaki Shun-kun, could you explain in detail what this method you mentioned is for passing the Midterm Exam?"

Seeing that Horikita Suzune had finally quieted down, Yosuke Hirata immediately turned his attention to Aragaki Shun.

He hoped to reach a result that would put everyone in the class at ease as soon as possible, otherwise, the atmosphere in the class would be impossible to settle.

"It seems that after all these days, you still haven't found a strategy for everyone to pass the Midterm Exam together?"

Aragaki Shun was speechless. Whether it was Yosuke Hirata or Kushida Kikyo, their social skills were not much worse than Ichinose Honami's; how had they not gone to ask the upperclassmen for their experience?

"To be honest, we really haven't," Hirata said, a look of shame appearing on his face. "We've already set up study sessions in the class, but it doesn't seem to be very effective. Time is just too tight."

In reality, the main problem was the attitude of the students in Class D themselves.

When they heard the news that failing meant expulsion, the entire class was filled with wailing, and those with particularly poor grades kept complaining that the school's rules were flawed.

But even so, there were still plenty of students in Class D clinging to wishful thinking.

They believed that as long as they crammed a few days before the exam, they could rely on luck to reach the passing line, so they weren't taking the study sessions very seriously.

There were even Class D students who looked down on the help provided by Hirata and the others, as if joining a study session held by the top students was something shameful, and they would only deign to attend if a pretty girl like Kushida Kikyo begged them to.

It could only be said that Class D was truly a gathering place for defective goods; there were just so many bizarre people.

"I really don't know how to evaluate this..."

Aragaki Shun sighed, finally understanding what it meant for fools to be the bane of experts.

He and Kanzaki Ryuji had previously speculated that Class D should be able to obtain the past exam papers, at which point they would use the threat of reporting them to force them to pay up.

But who could have imagined that despite there being so many people in Class D, they couldn't even take the first step.

Thinking of this, Aragaki Shun subconsciously looked at Kanzaki Ryuji beside him, but he didn't expect the other party to look over as well, and that teasing gaze made the corner of his mouth twitch involuntarily.

It had been agreed that Kanzaki would handle the negotiations for this contract, but since they had unexpectedly encountered harassment from Class C today, Aragaki Shun thought he might as well resolve both matters at once.

"Forget it," Aragaki Shun cast aside the chaotic thoughts in his mind, deciding not to consider where the bottom line for Class D lay anymore, "Hirata, Kushida, and Karuizawa Kei."

Aragaki Shun looked at the three central figures of Class D in front of him and stated his purpose directly, "I want you to represent all the students of Class D and sign this contract."

"I will provide you with the original questions and correct answers for the Midterm Exam, and in return, you need to convince everyone in Class D to pay me 200,000 Private Points every month until graduation."

"As expected, it's this kind of deal again..."

The people from Class D all felt a subtle mix of emotions at this moment.

Counting the information on the Behavioral Standards Exam from the first deal and the coercion using the Transfer Ticket the second time, this was already the third contract Aragaki Shun had made Class D sign.

And each time, it was for 200,000 Private Points.

"Aragaki-kun..." Kushida Kikyo looked at Aragaki Shun with a mournful, pitiful expression, "Are you treating our Class D like a fat sheep? Do you have to come and fleece us every so often?"

"What kind of talk is that!" Aragaki Shun responded with a straight face, "Everyone in Class D is my brother, my dear friend; otherwise, why would I think of you every time there's a benefit?"

"Let me say a fair word." Kanzaki Ryuji coughed, starting to play along with Aragaki Shun, "This Midterm Exam can yield a maximum of 100 class evaluation points, and Aragaki is only taking 50 points from it. As a competitor, this is already very merciful, especially considering that having someone drop out of your class would also result in point deductions."

"Actually, in my opinion, letting Class D have failing students and reducing your class evaluation points directly to zero would be a better way to maintain the status of Class A. It's a pity that Aragaki and Ichinose are kind-hearted and didn't agree to my suggestion."