"I have a permanent Transfer Ticket worth Twenty Million Personal Points, and I can collect another 2.26 million Private Points every month through various channels. Everyone in Class A also contributes more than two million Private Points in class fees each month."
Aragaki Shun ignored the expressions around him and simply opened his personal page on his phone, showing off his Private Points and Transfer Ticket.
Kanzaki Ryuji opened the class account too, openly displaying the wealth Class A had accumulated over the past two months and proving that Aragaki Shun was telling the truth.
"Earlier, I transferred ten thousand Private Points to everyone in Class C. Oh, I forgot—Ryuen was only worth 100."
Aragaki Shun smiled as he toyed with Ryuen's nerves. "But that's all right. I'm willing to raise your price now."
"Two million Private Points to get you expelled, Ryuen. How many people at this school do you think would be willing to take the offer?"
Threatening Sakagami Kazuma along with Ryuen; Ryuen's points had been stripped bare.
Use Twenty Million Personal Points to get me expelled?
Could I seriously be worth twenty million?!!!
Why not just give me the money? I'd drop out and go home right now.
Ryuen Kakeru clenched his fists and sprang to his feet, glaring viciously at the rich bastard in front of him.
"Don't get so worked up, Ryuen."
Aragaki Shun watched the C-class leader, who could no longer sit still, with amusement. Then he openly fanned the flames by tempting the two lackeys beside him. "I believe most people at Kodo Ikusei Senior High School still have a sense of justice. To encourage the poor students in Class C who've been bullied by Ryuen to stand up for themselves, I'm willing to offer a private reward of twenty million."
"Think about it, Ishizaki and Yamada. With those twenty million Private Points, no matter how the four classes compete, you'd be guaranteed to graduate from Class A."
"And even if you don't care about graduating from Class A, you can exchange those Private Points for gold and take it with you. That'd be at least sixteen million yen in cash—savings an ordinary family would have to scrimp and save for seven or eight years to amass, after living expenses."
After thinking it over, Aragaki Shun realized the exchange rate was indeed a little low, so he kindly offered them a better option—
"You know Koenji Rokusuke from first-year Class D, right? If you traded these twenty million Private Points with him, that heir to a zaibatsu would definitely be willing to convert them into cash at a one-to-one rate, or even better. You'd also earn a small favor from a zaibatsu heir..."
"That's enough!"
Ryuen Kakeru cut off Aragaki Shun's suggestion with a dark expression. If he let him keep going, those two not-so-bright lackeys beside him wouldn't be the only ones he swayed. Ryuen himself might not be able to resist.
After all, it had only been a month since Kodo Ikusei Senior High School started. If he took twenty million and dropped out now, it'd be like earning five or six years' worth of future wages in a single month.
With that much money, he could continue his education at another high school, quit school and get a job, or even spend a few years lounging around at home. All of those were pretty good options.
"When I get back, I'll straighten out the people in my class. They'll behave themselves when they're out and stop picking fights with Class A students over every little thing."
Ryuen Kakeru irritably slapped the two contracts in his hand down in front of Aragaki Shun.
He could stop harassing Class A, but he wasn't signing those papers.
As long as he was more cautious from now on, he was confident that no one would gather enough evidence to get him expelled.
But that meant he'd have to watch his step in everything he did and stay on guard around every one of his subordinates... So, for the sake of an easier school life, he'd better not let Aragaki Shun publish that bounty.
Otherwise, every student in school would keep an eye on his every move and see him as twenty million walking around. Anyone who ended up alone in a room with him would turn on their recorder and camera... That'd be unbearable.
"Oh? Ryuen, do you think I can only restrict what you do from now on, but can't get you expelled right now?"
Aragaki Shun calmly watched the C-class delinquent, whose defiance remained undiminished. Ryuen Kakeru returned his gaze with a look of contempt.
Of course. He'd caused all sorts of trouble in elementary and middle school without anyone catching him out. It was all thanks to his slippery ability to wriggle free.
"Heh. Looks like I'll have to go to Class C and find a few of the students you've bullied most severely. I'll give them a chance to rest up in their dorms."
"One million in compensation for each student. If more than five Class C students can't take the bullying and hide in their dorms rather than go out, do you think the school would be concerned?"
"You're going to..."
Ryuen Kakeru was about to sneer, but then he realized what Aragaki Shun was doing. "You're going to make a big deal out of this and force the school to step in?"
School bullying was a serious offense. Even if it was common at many high schools in Sakurajima, the school would never allow something like that to happen openly.
In other words, if the situation Aragaki Shun described actually came to pass, the school would inevitably investigate.
By then, whether there was evidence or not wouldn't matter. If the school determined that Ryuen had done it, he'd have to accept the punishment.
After all, to an organization like a school, stability would always matter most. Compared with the school's reputation, one delinquent from Class C was utterly insignificant.
"I'm just giving the students in Class C who've been bullied a little support, so they'll have the courage to stand up and seek justice for themselves."
Aragaki Shun spoke unhurriedly. "As long as there's a chance to get Ryuen expelled, I'm sure plenty of people in Class C would be willing to take a gamble. Then I can offer another reward and get everyone in Class C to report every violent act you've committed since enrolling."
"After all that, Ryuen, how likely do you think it is that the school would still choose to protect you?"
The students at Kodo Ikusei Senior High School had all been specially recruited by the school from across the country. That meant the school still had records on every student from elementary and middle school.
So even without evidence, the school could learn what kind of person Ryuen Kakeru was from his history of misconduct.
In the past, the school had been able to sit comfortably on the sidelines and let the four classes do as they pleased because nothing had escalated. It had turned a blind eye to Ryuen Kakeru's various underhanded tactics.
But once things got bad enough that the school had to get involved, it wouldn't hesitate to deal harshly with a dangerous person who used violence.
After all, Ryuen Kakeru's violent behavior was real. Aragaki Shun wasn't framing him.
And if things reached that point, everyone in Class C and every Class A student who'd been harassed would be standing against Ryuen. Anyone could tell which side mattered more.
"Heh. If things really got that far, the school would probably throw me out to settle the matter."
Having realized how serious the problem was, Ryuen Kakeru's expression darkened even further. Still, he stubbornly added, "But you think you can make that much of a scene and force the school to get involved without paying any price yourself?"
"Fortunately, I have a few connections at this school."
Aragaki Shun casually brushed aside Ryuen's last struggle. "If you don't believe me, you can turn around and leave. Then your countdown to expulsion can begin."
"Oh, right. When you get back, remind your protector, Sakagami Kazuma: as the homeroom teacher, he stood by while a student was bullied by his classmates. Once things blow up, he'll have to leave Kodo Ikusei Senior High School with you."
If several students in the class hid in their dorms and stopped attending school because of bullying, and the entire class reported Ryuen Kakeru's violent behavior, could Sakagami Kazuma still claim he hadn't seen anything?
Forget his homeroom teacher position—he wouldn't even keep his job as an ordinary teacher. The school would probably kick him out too.
"Hiss..."
The onlookers around them were all incredulous. He was even going after Class C's homeroom teacher?
"...Fine! Fine! Fine! I admit defeat this time!"
As Ishizaki Daichi and Yamada Albert watched with complicated expressions, Ryuen Kakeru clenched his fists and sat in silence for a long while. In the end, he gritted his teeth and swallowed the bitter taste of defeat.
There was no point arguing further.
It had only been a month since school started, and his rule over Class C was far from secure. If Aragaki Shun was willing to pay enough, those he'd crushed with violence would leap at the chance to get him expelled.
He'd been too impatient. He should have waited a few more months, until his violent rule had taken root and no one in Class C dared betray him. Then it would have been the right time to launch an attack on the higher-ranked classes.
But it was too late for regrets now. With a sour expression, he picked up the two contracts he'd thrown onto the table.
The first contract stated that Ryuen Kakeru would personally pay Aragaki Shun two hundred thousand Private Points every month. It didn't include any conditions or guarantees.
The reason was simple. Neither of Aragaki Shun's requests—that Class C students stop provoking Class A students in their daily lives—nor Ryuen Kakeru's demand that Aragaki Shun promise not to buy off Class C students and get them to report his violent behavior could be written into a contract for the school to certify.
Since that was the case, they might as well leave both out.
Ryuen Kakeru clearly understood that too, so he didn't hesitate to sign his name.
They both knew that, in essence, the contract was no more than an unspoken, temporary truce between them.
Since it didn't specify what either side would be responsible for, Ryuen Kakeru could still send people to harass Class A in the future, as long as he was sure Aragaki Shun's threat to get him expelled had lost its force.
Likewise, if he wanted, Aragaki Shun could buy off people in Class C at any time and get Ryuen kicked out of Kodo Ikusei Senior High School. But doing that would mean giving up the steady income this contract could bring in.
Two hundred thousand Private Points a month, with thirty-five months left until graduation three years from now—that came to seven million Private Points.
Add the twenty million he'd prepared to get Ryuen expelled, and if he tore up this contract now, his total loss would be twenty-seven million.
Oh, no. There was one more person he could squeeze a little more out of.
"Mm, please deliver this one to Sakagami Kazuma for me. I hope he sincerely repents and tries to be a good teacher who cares for his students from now on."
Aragaki Shun took out another contract just like Ryuen's and handed it directly to him. It also required a payment of two hundred thousand a month.
Ryuen Kakeru took it expressionlessly. After glancing it over, he tossed it to Ishizaki Daichi beside him.
Fair's fair—share the good times and the bad.
Besides, the two contracts came to fourteen million. The more he earned, the less likely Aragaki Shun would be to tear them up. That would buy him more time to turn Class C into an impregnable fortress.
Then Ryuen looked at his second contract. "The Midterm Exam questions and answers?"
This school had something like that?
A flicker of doubt crossed his mind, but he quickly understood. "The upperclassmen, the Student Council, and the faculty—those are the only three channels through which you could get your hands on the exam. Why shouldn't I go find it myself?"
"You can find it yourself if you want. At most, Class A will report it to the school, and the school will prepare a new exam. Then everyone can compete on their actual ability."
Aragaki Shun didn't care, but someone else couldn't stay quiet.
"Wait, they can invalidate the past exam papers?"
Karuizawa Kei cried out in alarm. Her academic ability was rated D-minus. Without the past exam papers, she'd be in danger on the Midterm Exam.
"Why couldn't they invalidate them?"
Kanzaki Ryuji once again stepped forward to play the bad guy. "The past exam papers are a loophole the school deliberately left to favor Classes C and D. Class A and Class B don't need them."
Hearing this, even Ishizaki Daichi and Yamada Albert from Class C began to hesitate.
"Ryuen, it looks like this contract requires the whole class to sign. We should agree, or a lot of people in the class will definitely drop out."
Ryuen Kakeru glared viciously at his lackey, making Ishizaki stumble two steps backward in fright.
"I have my own way of getting everyone in Class C through the Midterm Exam. I don't need you to teach me."
"Are you planning to make everyone in Class C hand in blank papers?" Aragaki Shun asked, regarding the C-class leader, who looked confident, with interest. Then he helpfully reminded him, "Forget whether anyone in Class C will betray you. Even if you really get through with some kind of trick, how many Class Points do you think the school will give Class C?"
"Friends in Class D, don't worry. Even if the original past exam papers are invalidated, I can still get the new Midterm Exam questions. Then you'll easily surpass Ryuen Class and rise to become the new Class C."
"Boss Ryuen!"
Hearing Aragaki Shun say that, Ishizaki Daichi couldn't hold back—even though no one from Class D had said anything yet.
They'd often mocked the people in Class D as defective products. If Class D overtook them in the rankings after the Midterm Exam, they really wouldn't be able to accept it!
"Shut up!"
Ryuen shoved Ishizaki aside. Aragaki Shun's nonchalant attitude made his anger flare again, but in the end, he still signed the contract.
He had no choice. His rule over Class C was already unstable, and it relied entirely on violence.
In that situation, if he couldn't even save the last shred of Class C's pride, his days as class leader would be numbered.
If they were surpassed by the defective products in Class D, then his promise to lead everyone to Class A would be nothing but a joke.
In the end, no matter how vicious he was, he didn't have the strength to stand above an entire class by himself.
The people in Class C were willing to obey him mainly because he kept making grand promises and gave them a glimmer of hope that they could rise to Class A.
But if they thought he was good at infighting and useless against outsiders, unable to even beat Class D, then the already-suppressed students in Class C really would explode.
"Isn't this great?"
Aragaki Shun looked with satisfaction at Ryuen's final decision. "With this contract, you can squeeze some more Private Points out of Class C. Otherwise, how are you going to pay me the two hundred thousand you owe every month?"
Class C only had 330 Class Points. Apparently, Ryuen Kakeru had taken the extra thirty points for himself, but even so, the remaining Private Points only amounted to 140,000.
That was nowhere near enough!
The amount of Private Points each Class C student could spend every month was only 23,000. He'd practically abandoned all shame and finally forced his classmates to hand over the extra three thousand.
And now, even though he had only 120,000 in living expenses left, he still had to hand it all over?
What made Ryuen want to curse even more was that, despite being squeezed this hard, he still couldn't meet his monthly obligation to transfer 200,000 to Aragaki Shun.
There was still a gap of 80,000. In other words, he'd have to find a way to make each person in Class C contribute another 2,000 a month to ensure he could pay his debt to Aragaki Shun.
By that calculation, Class C had only 330 Class Points, but every student in the class had to hand Aragaki Shun 20,000 Private Points each month. That left them only 13,000 to spend as they pleased... Just thinking about it made him want to throw up blood!
And yet, it was precisely in this desperate situation that Ryuen realized, to his dismay, that the Midterm Exam questions Aragaki Shun had traded him had truly become the key to maintaining his rule over Class C.
With these official answers, as long as Class C earned more than seventy Class Points on the Midterm Exam, he could keep everyone's monthly allowance at 20,000 Private Points.
If Class C overperformed and earned the maximum 100 Class Points, the losses from both contracts would be completely offset. He could even continue squeezing part of the living allowance out of everyone in Class C.
Fuck me, how did I end up like this? Now I had to keep coveting the few extra points my classmates had every day.
Ryuen Kakeru was nearly hysterical inside. He didn't want to see the bastard in front of him anymore. After signing both contracts, he was about to leave the classroom as quickly as possible when Aragaki Shun suddenly called out to him—
"Wait a moment. A good-natured fellow from Class B is coming by later. I think you two should get to know each other."
Before you continue