No matter the cost, I absolutely couldn't repeat the mistakes I'd made in middle school!
"This is so boring."
Horikita Suzune had no idea what Karuizawa was thinking. Seeing this, she could only feel that the girl, supposedly the leader of the class's female students, was being utterly unproductive.
What annoyed her even more was that those idiots in her class would rather let this lovestruck girl negotiate than follow her orders. It was simply incomprehensible.
So she left the Class A classroom, her face icy.
"Horikita, wait up!"
Kushida Kikyo hurried after her, turning back along the way to give Karuizawa Kei an encouraging gesture.
Yosuke Hirata smiled, greeted the three Class A students, and then left without hesitation.
Aragaki Shun watched Karuizawa's expression grow increasingly uneasy, then looked at the new notifications on his Personal Panel—
[Achievement unlocked: Ended the Midterm Exam before it began. Source Power +3.] [Achievement unlocked: Signed point-transfer contracts with Class 1-C and Class 1-D again. Source Power +2.] [Achievement unlocked: Stopped Class 1-C's harassment and threatened its homeroom teacher. Source Power +2.] [Source Power: 10→17 (Current rate: 4 points per month)]
Seeing this, Aragaki Shun didn't hesitate. He invested his excess Source Power directly into [Turn Misfortune into Good Fortune]—
[Turn Misfortune into Good Fortune lv.2 (0/3)→Turn Misfortune into Good Fortune lv.4 (0/5)] [Source Power: 17→10 (Current rate: 4 points per month)]
Feeling that his luck-based talent had been strengthened to the limits of an ordinary human, Aragaki Shun looked at Karuizawa Kei once more.
This time, that vague intuition was even stronger.
So he didn't hesitate any longer and accepted Karuizawa Kei's invitation.
"Sure. I'm free tomorrow after six in the evening. Let me know once you've found a place."
97. Private Points Exceed Ten Million Again
"Is the kind of girl Aragaki-kun likes someone like Karuizawa?"
Once the representatives of the three classes had left, Ichinose Honami looked a little concerned as she couldn't help asking Aragaki Shun.
"Don't let your imagination run wild."
After tidying up the things on his desk, Aragaki Shun made to get up and leave. "I only agreed to have a meal with her. She's the one paying, too."
"Is it really that simple?"
Ichinose Honami pouted slightly, looking as if to say, "Don't brush me off."
"The D Class students only get twenty thousand Private Points for living expenses this month. They have to scrimp and save just to get by, so they certainly don't have money to treat someone else to a meal—let alone you, the Leader of Class A, who's widely considered the richest first-year."
And yet Karuizawa Kei had done exactly that. Anyone with a normal IQ could guess what she was thinking, couldn't they?
And Aragaki Shun's IQ clearly wasn't below average.
So he'd guessed what was on her mind and still accepted her invitation... Wasn't that enough to prove something?
After all, given Aragaki Shun's personality, if he had no interest in Karuizawa Kei whatsoever, he'd have refused the pointless social engagement right away. He wouldn't have been polite just because the other person was a girl.
Seeing Ichinose Honami's doubtful gaze, Aragaki Shun sighed, picked up the book beside him, and lightly tapped her on the head with it.
"Hey?"
"Ichinose, are you too free? If you are, I can ask Kanzaki to give you some of his work."
"I-I was only asking for Chihiro's sake. You know how she feels."
Ichinose Honami rubbed her forehead, looking a little aggrieved. How could he be so rude to a girl?
Aragaki Shun shook his head. He'd been about to tease Ichinose in return, but then his phone rang with another incoming call.
"Ring~"
Aragaki Shun saw that the caller ID read "Chairman Sakayanagi." He nodded to Ichinose and Kanzaki, then walked out of the classroom to a quiet spot and answered.
"Good afternoon, Chairman. Is there something you need to tell me, calling at this hour?"
"Good afternoon, Aragaki-kun. I'm calling unexpectedly because the school has finished handling yesterday's incident at the electronics store. I wanted to explain how we've dealt with it to you, since you were directly involved..."
It had happened only yesterday afternoon, yet the matter had already been completely resolved today. The school had acted so quickly because Aragaki Shun had gone straight to the head of Kodo Ikusei Senior High School.
Besides, the employee's attack on Aragaki Shun had taken place directly in front of a camera. There was no way for the man to deny it.
So dealing with the employee was simple: they would send him to prison. What Aragaki Shun cared more about was the school's compensation.
"...After discussions with the electronics store's business partner, we've decided that each side will transfer two million Private Points to you, for a total of four million, to compensate you for the emotional distress caused by this incident. Are you satisfied with that arrangement?"
Both sides were contributing two million each, for a total of four million. Clearly, the school was making a sincere offer.
But Aragaki Shun also knew the school could be so generous because of the powerful family behind him.
If an ordinary student had been attacked, the school probably wouldn't have taken it so seriously. At most, it would have paid a few hundred thousand Private Points, hoping to hush things up without damaging Kodo Ikusei's reputation.
After all, ordinary students weren't in a position to negotiate with the school.
But when it came to Aragaki Shun, the matter couldn't be handled so crudely.
Otherwise, if the outcome reached the Aragaki Family, they might think Kodo Ikusei was deliberately targeting their heir.
"I can accept that. But I'd like to ask: did the school look into the employee's browsing history and online comments?"
"As far as I know, he lost control and attacked me yesterday because he was obsessed with a gravure idol named 'Shizuku' online. And Shizuku's real identity is Sakura Airi, the classmate who was with me yesterday."
Aragaki Shun thought about it and decided to make sure the employee got a longer prison sentence.
Given his family background, the school would certainly deal harshly with anyone who dared attack him. Still, that didn't stop him from making his stance clear.
"Please rest assured, Aragaki-kun. The school has investigated the incident thoroughly, and we've also sent staff to offer support to Sakura..."
The two chatted briefly after that, until the chairman ended the call, citing his busy schedule at Kodo Ikusei.
Aragaki Shun didn't have much to talk about with a middle-aged man, either, so he was glad to get off the phone.
After the call ended, he waited where he was for a few minutes. Before long, the compensation the chairman had mentioned arrived.
But to his surprise, the transfer to his account wasn't the agreed-upon four million. It was 4.95 million.
Where had the extra 950,000 come from?
Before Aragaki Shun could wonder about it, the chairman sent him an email explaining the situation clearly.
It turned out that the extra 950,000 was the employee's own stash of Private Points at the school.
After confiscating all the points the employee had, the school had transferred them to Aragaki Shun's account along with its compensation, on the chairman's instructions.
That made the chairman seem pretty considerate.
So why hadn't his daughter, Sakayanagi Arisu, learned from him?
After a brief sigh, Aragaki Shun checked his Private Points balance. With the additional 4.95 million, it had surpassed 8.91 million.
The total was relatively low because he'd transferred a considerable amount of money to Anonymous Point Cards.
There was still about 500,000 in total across all his point cards.
That meant the Private Points he could freely use now amounted to 9.41 million.
And if he included the 800,000 long-term contract he'd signed today, he'd have more than ten million Private Points again by the time the Midterm Exam ended.
What a pleasant feeling.
Aragaki Shun whistled as he was about to leave the corner and head to the cafeteria for a meal, but another transfer notification arrived.
That was surprising. Ryuen Kakeru and Sakagami Kazuma couldn't have acted that quickly, could they?
But he hadn't taken advantage of anyone else in the past few days.
Puzzled, Aragaki Shun first saw the transfer amount displayed on his phone: 500,000. Then he saw a name he'd never expected.
[Sakura Airi]: "Aragaki-kun, these are the points the school gave me. I thought it would be better to transfer them to you."
98. Sakura Airi Wanted to Repay His Kindness
Kodo Ikusei Senior High School, first-year girls' dormitory.
In a dimly lit room, Sakura Airi lay on her bed, nervously staring at the email she'd agonized over before finally gathering the courage to send it.
"Aragaki-kun..."
Sakura Airi softly murmured his name.
For a moment, her memories returned to their encounter the day before. Scene after scene played through the red-haired girl's mind.
Their fateful first meeting, when they collided at a street corner; being suddenly pulled into the boy's arms at the electronics store; having Aragaki-kun gently stroke her cheek; being carried bridal-style; hearing him say something so embarrassing... And finally, Aragaki-kun swiftly dealing with the frenzied employee, then calmly telling her it was all over.
"Ugh..."
Just thinking about what had happened yesterday made Sakura Airi's face burn.
"N-no, I can't think about it anymore. My brain's going to melt!"
Sakura Airi covered her face and buried her head under the blankets, shaking it again and again as she tried to cast off her increasingly jumbled thoughts.
Otherwise, if she let her imagination run wild, Sakura worried she'd be too embarrassed to leave the dorm and face anyone.
It was the first time in her life she'd been so physically close to a boy her age. The boy in question was also the most popular guy among the first-year girls, and on top of that, there was the dreamy scene of a hero rescuing a damsel in distress... For an innocent girl, that brief encounter had been far too much.
"Aragaki-kun..."
Sakura Airi pushed back the blankets and couldn't help saying his name again.
They'd spent less than a day together, but Sakura Airi couldn't control herself. She'd been thinking about him since last night, and she'd been dazed in class all day, too.
Luckily, she was always on the fringes of D Class. More than a month after the school year began, she still hadn't made any friends and was completely unnoticed, so none of her classmates or teachers had noticed anything unusual.
After school, when she returned to the dorm, she'd played with her still-broken digital camera, occasionally breaking into a foolish grin. She'd completely lost track of time.
Only when a female teacher suddenly showed up and told her how the previous day's incident had been resolved, then gave her 500,000 Private Points as hush money, did Sakura finally emerge from her own world.
When the girl came back to her senses and saw the Private Points that had suddenly appeared in her account, she hesitated for a long time before transferring them to Aragaki Shun.
Of course, Sakura hadn't hesitated because she cared about the 500,000 Private Points. She just didn't know how to write an email to Aragaki Shun.
The girl stared at her phone. After typing just a few words, she couldn't help deleting them.
She typed, deleted, typed again, then deleted them because she wasn't satisfied. This went on for several minutes. When she realized it was almost dinnertime, she hurriedly transferred the Private Points and quickly added an explanation.
What would Aragaki-kun think?
Sakura Airi nervously held up her phone, wanting to see his reply as soon as it came, but also not daring to look.
As it turned out, Sakura had been overthinking it. Aragaki Shun replied quickly and simply, starting with a question mark before sending the rest.
[Aragaki Shun]: "These are the points the school gave you as compensation. Why are you transferring them to me?"
[Aragaki Shun]: "The school sent my compensation, too. Keep the 500,000 for yourself."
[Aragaki Shun]: "By the way, there seem to be a lot of unreliable people in your D Class. It'd be best not to let them find out you have all these points."
A few seconds after those messages arrived, Sakura Airi's phone showed a deposit notification. The other person really had returned all 500,000 Private Points.
The girl immediately pouted in disappointment. Forgetting her embarrassment, she hurriedly sent a string of emails, insisting that she hadn't done anything and really shouldn't accept the money.
[Sakura Airi]: "I saw that employee when I bought my camera. His eyes were frightening and disgusting. If it weren't for you, Aragaki-kun, I wouldn't dare go to the electronics store again."
[Aragaki Shun]: "If it weren't for me, your digital camera wouldn't have been broken in the first place. You wouldn't have needed to go to that store."
[Sakura Airi]: "No! That's not it!"
The red-haired girl lay on her stomach, propping up her upper body with her elbows as she took a deep breath, as if trying to steel her resolve.
She wanted to try. If it was Aragaki-kun, then surely it would be all right to tell him those secrets?
"Then let's head back to the dorm now. I'm looking forward to seeing every side of you, Airi."
"Ugh..."
W-why was she remembering that embarrassing line again?
Forget it! Forget it already!
Aragaki-kun had only said that to provoke the employee into attacking him. She shouldn't keep thinking about it!
Sakura slapped her flushed cheek with her free hand. Her eyes wandered for a moment, but then she remembered she still had an email to reply to and hurriedly started tapping on her phone.
Before you continue