Class C's Strategist / The Points Plan Concludes

Hashiba Hikaru didn't hand over the Contract from before, the one prohibiting the resale of hidden rules. This time, he gave them a freshly printed Transaction Voucher.

The voucher had also come from Hoshinomiya-sensei. It showed the record of Class B pooling two million points to purchase the hidden rules, along with the school's seal, proving the transaction complied with school regulations.

"Our class spent two million Private Points to buy the school's hidden rules. Now we're offering them to you at half price: one million," Hashiba Hikaru said slowly, looking into Ibuki's eyes. "The school's seal is right here, so you can be sure we're telling the truth. There are a lot of hidden rules, and Class C definitely won't lose out."

"You can discuss it among yourselves before deciding whether to accept the deal."

"..."

Ibuki took the voucher and quickly confirmed that it bore the same seal as the Acceptance Letter. The two million points had indeed been transferred to the account of their Class B homeroom teacher, Chie Hoshinomiya.

That could only mean one thing: hidden rules really did exist at the school, and they were worth two million points.

"...We need to discuss it first. Then we'll give you our answer."

"Sure."

The Strategist of Class C

After Hashiba Hikaru handed Ibuki the voucher bearing the transaction record, she immediately took it over to the gray-haired girl, apparently to hear her opinion.

"So that's how it is? The school's hidden rules..."

Shiina Hiyori lowered her head to study the information on the voucher and spoke softly. "It really does have the school's seal. It probably isn't fake."

"Doesn't that mean they really know the school's hidden rules? Why are they only telling us now?"

Ibuki turned toward the smiling boy. His air of having everything under control irritated her, and she spoke sharply. "When did you find out about the school's hidden rules?"

"Isn't the date right there? There's not much point in discussing that now, is there?"

Hashiba Hikaru shook his head and calmly answered Ibuki's challenge. "Anyway, our offer is to sell you the rules for one million points. They're very valuable, so you won't be losing out."

"As for you, Shiina," he continued, looking at the quiet girl seated at her desk, "since everyone in Class C trusts you so much, have you noticed anything unusual during these first few days of school?"

"Anything unusual?"

Shiina Hiyori looked up at the two students from another class standing beside the lectern. Both were exceptionally good-looking. The boy named Hashiba Hikaru carried himself with such confidence that he seemed capable of overcoming anything.

"I've noticed a few small things that have been on my mind."

"Really?"

As the current leader of Class C, Ibuki had seen how well Shiina did in her studies. She knew the other girl was very smart and trusted by many people, herself included.

"For example, there are a lot of security cameras around the school. I saw quite a few on my way to the Library. I wondered about them a little, but guessed the school had installed them to protect the students, so I didn't think much more about it."

"Mhm. Anything else?" Hashiba Hikaru nodded, encouraging her to continue.

"I also noticed a lot of free products at the supermarket, like shampoo and body wash," Shiina Hiyori said unhurriedly, resting her hands on the desk. "I saw a senior taking some. He seemed used to it."

"Really? That's a thing?"

Ibuki thought about it seriously, then looked around the classroom and raised her voice. "Has anyone else noticed anything unusual about the school? You can tell us now. This is important."

At once, a boy raised his hand. "Ibuki, I noticed something."

"Kaneda? Just tell us what you noticed."

"I felt a strange gaze on me when I was shopping at the electronics store," the boy named Kaneda said, looking uneasy. "It was like someone was following me..."

"..."

Hashiba Hikaru had been hoping the other students would mention something useful to confirm that the school really had hidden rules and persuade Class C to agree to the deal.

But when he heard the boy say he felt like someone was following him, the corner of his mouth twitched.

He knew exactly why. The Class B student assigned to keep an eye on him had probably been spotted. He couldn't admit it, so he'd better play dumb.

"We're not too sure about that. The main point just now was the school's hidden rules. Shiina, what do you think of this deal?"

Hashiba Hikaru changed the subject. If Shiina was currently Class C's brains, her opinion would carry a lot of weight.

"I think the deal is worth considering," Shiina said, looking at Ibuki Mio beside her. "If the senior I saw really did seem to take free products all the time, that means he's constantly short on Private Points."

"Teacher Sakagami said at the start of the school year that Private Points would be deposited into everyone's accounts on the first of each month. If the amount really is a hundred thousand every month, then I saw that senior on the third day of school. He couldn't have spent it all so quickly."

"So I think the amount of Private Points deposited into students' accounts each month must change. At the very least, it can't be the same every month."

"Clap, clap, clap!"

Hashiba Hikaru looked thoroughly impressed. He gestured for Ichinose to join him in applauding, showing his approval of Shiina Hiyori's analysis.

What's more, the boy secretly exchanged points for a [Stock Analyzer] and used it on the gray-haired girl.

[Stock Analyzer activated.]

[Shiina Hiyori Stock]

[Stock Information: A quiet, cute girl who enjoys solitude and reading, especially detective novels. She doesn't have many friends and isn't very interested in socializing. She's quite sharp and can notice things others might miss.]

[Stock Growth Advice: Become her fellow book lover and discuss detective novels together to earn her special approval.]

[Stock Decline Risks: Insult the works she likes, show an eagerness for conflict, or try to control her thoughts.]

A literary girl, huh? Not bad.

He already read plenty of books in his spare time, so getting to know her shouldn't be too much trouble.

Hashiba Hikaru committed the analysis to memory, then said, "Shiina, your analysis is spot-on. But the Private Points situation involves the hidden rules. Ibuki, what do you think now?"

"Hmph!"

Seeing the satisfied smile on his face, Ibuki Mio snorted. She'd seen that expression on the boy several times already. Whenever it appeared, it meant his plan was about to succeed.

She didn't want to walk right into Hashiba's trap, but after thinking it over, she decided the deal was reasonable.

She understood how important the rules were. Finding them out early could only help.

"What do you all think? I believe buying these hidden rules would benefit our class."

The short-haired girl's gaze swept over her classmates. She was willing to buy the hidden rules, but as class leader, she still had to make sure everyone agreed. Otherwise, wouldn't she end up like Ryuen?

"I agree to the deal. Once we split a million between us, we only have to pay a little over twenty thousand each."

"Yeah. Since Shiina noticed something unusual about the school, that proves there really are hidden rules. I'm willing to pay."

"That's true, but Ryuen and the others aren't here right now. Doesn't that mean the rest of us have to cover their share too?" Someone looked at the three empty seats, seemingly reluctant to help pay for them.

"Don't worry. We'll cover it for now. When that guy comes back, we'll make him pay us back."

Ibuki waved it off as no big deal. With Yamada and herself around, there was no way he wouldn't pay them back.

Once Class C's students had all agreed to pay, Hashiba Hikaru exchanged a glance with Ichinose, who was standing nearby. They both knew the point-recovery plan was almost complete.

"Then, everyone, please transfer your points."

At that point, Shiina Hiyori said she could chip in a little more. She didn't have many expenses in her daily life and spent most of her time in the Library, where borrowing books cost no points.

"I can chip in extra too. The three of them need another seventy-five thousand in total..."

Just as Ibuki was trying to work out exactly how much they needed to pay, Yamada, who was built like a tower, suddenly spoke.

"My points. Divide in half."

Half of my points. Split them between you.

"Oh?"

Hearing that, Hashiba Hikaru turned to look at Yamada, who had been silent until now. The guy looked intimidating, but apparently he had a strong sense of teamwork.

"Then that settles it."

Ibuki watched Yamada hold out his phone. With his contribution, plus hers and Shiina's, the three of them could each pay fifty thousand points. That would cover the shortfall caused by the three students who were suspended, without troubling anyone else.

A little while later, Ibuki's phone had collected a million Private Points. Unlike Class D, Class C's students hadn't been so extravagant with their points the previous week, and they could afford to put up twenty-five thousand each.

"Who should I transfer these points to? You?" Ibuki asked, giving Hashiba Hikaru a sideways look.

"Of course not. Ibuki, transfer the points to Ichinose. She's our class leader."

"Hmph!"

Ibuki was rude to Hashiba Hikaru, but very friendly toward Ichinose Honami. She thought they'd make good friends, so she stepped over and transferred the points to her.

"All right, the points are transferred. Now can you tell us what the hidden rules are?"

The Point Plan Comes to an End

After Ichinose Honami confirmed that she had received the points, Hashiba Hikaru glanced at Ibuki beside him. "Don't worry. Now that you've paid, of course I'll keep my word."

"Here. This notebook contains all the hidden rules. We wrote them all down."

The boy took out the notebook he hadn't used the day before and handed it to Ibuki Mio, looking completely at ease. "But I should warn you: the hidden rules might be beyond anything you expect. Don't fall out of your chairs."

"What's that supposed to mean? Aren't you going to explain them to us?"

Watching Hashiba Hikaru's movements, Ibuki guessed he planned to hand over the notebook and leave. She hurriedly snapped, "We just paid a million. Are you really going to hand us a notebook and walk away?"

"But all the rules are written in there. It doesn't matter whether I stay or go, does it? Can't you read?"

Hashiba Hikaru didn't want to stay here any longer. After going around in such a big circle, he'd finally recovered the three million points. All he wanted now was a good rest.

"You!"

The short-haired girl was furious at Hashiba Hikaru's attitude, but there wasn't much she could do about it.

Ichinose Honami quickly tried to calm her down. "Don't be angry, Ibuki. We really do have things to do. The rules are explained in detail, so you can just read them."

Of course, she didn't want Hashiba Hikaru staying there either. She just wanted to leave with him as soon as possible.

After hearing Ichinose's explanation, Ibuki flipped through the notebook. When she saw how thoroughly everything had been written out, she fell silent.

It was true: all the rules were explained in detail. She could go over them with her classmates herself.

"Ibuki, we'll get going, then."

"Fine, go. Just don't come bothering us again!"

Ibuki Mio looked at the boy, her expression still tinged with anger.

She really disliked Hashiba Hikaru's scheming ways, but she couldn't help admiring his ability. Judging by the date on the voucher, he had gone to a teacher to buy the school's Deep Rules on the very first day of school.

With such a sharp mind and a firm hand, it seemed inevitable that she'd hear his name often in the future.

"Goodbye, Ibuki."

Ichinose Honami glanced at Ibuki, whose expression was shifting between anger and uncertainty. After bidding her a gentle farewell, she followed Hashiba Hikaru out of Class C's classroom.

The point-recovery plan they had devised after the start of the school year had finally come to an end today.

She had to hurry and share the good news with everyone in Class B.

After they left, Ibuki and Shiina examined the notebook. They hadn't known what to expect, and what they read shocked them. The detailed rules, handwritten by Ichinose Honami, made both girls' expressions darken. They were stunned like never before.

"These rules... They really are astonishing."

A puzzled look crossed Shiina Hiyori's serene face. After reading the rules, she immediately thought of the two people who had come to sell them.

If they'd known about the rules from the first day, why had they been so friendly and sold them at half price? Did they have some other motive?

"Ibuki, do you remember the payment voucher from earlier?" Shiina immediately turned to Ibuki Mio.

"You mean they knew the school's rules from the very first day?" Ibuki wasn't slow on the uptake. She quickly understood what Shiina meant.

"If Hashiba and the others knew the school's Deep Rules from the first day, then their earlier plan to get Ryuen suspended must have had a deeper purpose."

Shiina pointed to one of the rules in the notebook. "For example, the penalty for losing Class Evaluation Points. Having someone suspended would have a much greater impact than using a phone in class."

"That guy really was scheming against us!"

Once she understood, anger showed on Ibuki's face. She realized Hashiba Hikaru had used her as a pawn.

Ryuen's suspension would have had consequences in several ways. First, according to the school's hidden rules, a suspended student might lose a large number of Class Evaluation Points. That would widen the gap between Class C and Class B.

Second, Ryuen's suspension had created a power vacuum in Class C. Whether or not a new class leader was chosen, Hashiba Hikaru would take advantage of the opportunity to sell the hidden rules. He wouldn't have to face Ryuen, and once everyone learned the rules, they could use them to limit Ryuen's behavior.

After all, once Class C's students knew about the school's class-placement rules and future class competition, they wouldn't let Ryuen do whatever he wanted. Now that Ibuki stood in the position of class leader, she would naturally have to shoulder that responsibility.

Damn it. He must have thought of all this long ago. He wanted us to fight Ryuen for him.

Ibuki fumed inwardly. The situation was certainly difficult. Once Ryuen's suspension ended, he'd want to take back control of Class C. Although their classmates currently supported her, it was hard to say whether that would change once everyone learned the rules.

After all, there was no way to predict what Ryuen might do. If he claimed he was acting for the good of the class, some people might really switch sides.