The Current State of Class A / A Celebration Party

"It's all right, Ibuki."

Shiina saw the complicated look on the short-haired girl's face and understood what was troubling her, so she gently reassured her. "Your classmates are all on your side now. Yamada and I will support you, too."

"Really?"

"No matter what tricks Ryuen pulls when the time comes, please let us face them together. After all, I was the one who recommended you as class leader, Ibuki. I believe you can protect everyone."

"All right. Then let's wait for that guy to come back."

The short-haired girl steeled her resolve. She wasn't fighting alone; she had companions by her side.

Ibuki then walked slowly up to the podium, ready to explain the hidden rules they'd bought to everyone.

A storm of shock gradually swept through all of Class C.

After leaving the Class C classroom, Hashiba Hikaru and Ichinose Honami stood in front of a vending machine. He was buying drinks, while the girl chatted in the Class B group chat on her phone.

Everyone already knew that the final collection of points had gone smoothly. They were enthusiastically discussing where to hold their celebration.

Seeing Ichinose's radiant smile beside him, Hashiba Hikaru felt a quiet sense of satisfaction. The plan hadn't been easy to carry out. It seemed like they were constantly running into problems, solving them, and then running into more.

Together, they'd overcome every obstacle, one after another, and successfully recovered the three million Private Points. They'd taken a small step toward their goal of twenty million, so of course everyone deserved a chance to relax.

"So, how's the discussion going?"

With a gentle smile, Hashiba Hikaru leaned toward Ichinose Honami and asked how everyone was doing.

"Everyone's still discussing where to hold it. We have a few options, but haven't reached an agreement yet." Feeling the boy's masculine presence as he drew near, the pink-haired girl blushed. But she made no effort to keep her distance; instead, she leaned against Hashiba Hikaru's shoulder and asked, "Do you have any ideas, Hashiba?"

"Me?"

The boy ran a hand through his hair. He didn't really care where they went to eat. It was all just dinner to him.

Just then, two figures appeared in front of them.

"Good afternoon, Hashiba. Ichinose."

"?"

They both looked up and realized it was Katsuragi Kohei, whom they'd met briefly at the start of the school year, along with his follower, Totsuka Yahiko.

"What brings you here?"

The boy looked puzzled. He hadn't checked in on Class A for a long time and had no idea what was going on with them now.

"Could I take up a little of your time, Hashiba and Ichinose? There's something I'd like to discuss with you."

"..."

The Current State of Class A

The boy and Ichinose Honami, standing beside him, were both surprised to see the bald man and his follower suddenly appear before them.

Hashiba Hikaru still clearly remembered how Class A had performed when they'd gone to sell the rules on the first day of school. Their overall ability and way of thinking had been sharp. Katsuragi and Sakayanagi, who were fighting for control of the class, were their respective leaders. Both were opponents Class B would have to defeat.

What did Katsuragi want, showing up here out of the blue?

Hashiba Hikaru grew more serious and asked Katsuragi Kohei, "Katsuragi, could you tell us what you want before we go anywhere?"

"Let's go somewhere else. This isn't the place to talk." Katsuragi shook his head and gestured for them to follow.

The boy glanced at their surroundings. They were beside the walkway leading from the school building to the dorms, and there were plenty of students nearby. It really wasn't a suitable place to talk.

"Fine. Where should we go?"

Hashiba Hikaru looked at Ichinose Honami beside him. Though she seemed puzzled, she knew Katsuragi was a leading figure in Class A. This conversation might have something to do with class competition.

"How about the café?" Katsuragi nodded. "It's my treat. We were the ones who invited you, after all."

"Sure. I don't mind."

Hashiba Hikaru's lips curved into a smile. He teased Katsuragi, "You're not trying to buy us off, are you? If you are, I don't come cheap."

"Please rest assured, Hashiba. I would never underestimate your abilities. If we were trying to buy you off, I'm afraid we couldn't afford you just yet."

Katsuragi's expression was solemn. He made it clear that he would never think that way.

His earnest response left Hashiba Hikaru speechless. The words he'd been about to say caught in his throat.

Seriously, was this guy always so earnest?

Beside them, Ichinose Honami saw the blank look on the boy's face and couldn't help bursting into laughter.

"Hahaha! This is the first time I've ever seen Hashiba make that face."

"..."

"Forget it. I should just keep quiet."

Hashiba Hikaru, his face dark with embarrassment, decided not to say anything else. He followed Ichinose Honami and Katsuragi Kohei into the café, a popular spot among the students.

The place had a pleasant atmosphere, and the tables were spaced far apart, making it suitable for discussing important matters.

The four of them sat down and ordered. The seating arrangement was simple: Katsuragi and his follower, Totsuka Yahiko, sat side by side, while Hashiba Hikaru and Ichinose Honami sat across from them.

"I'll get straight to the point. I'm here to seek an alliance with Class B." Katsuragi spoke solemnly to Hashiba and Ichinose.

"An alliance?"

Surprised by the proposal, the boy turned to Ichinose and asked, "What do you think, Ichinose?"

"Hmm... I'd like to hear what Katsuragi has in mind first." Hearing him state his purpose, Ichinose grew serious as well. An alliance would have far-reaching consequences, so they needed to understand exactly what he wanted.

"It has to do with the current situation in Class A."

After hearing Ichinose, Katsuragi began to explain. "After you finished selling the school's rules, Sakayanagi and I still hadn't settled who would come out on top. So we came up with a compromise."

"We decided to take turns leading Class A, each of us guiding the class for one Special Exam." Katsuragi spoke calmly. It was a solution they had devised that both sides could accept.

"Is it really all right to tell me that? This sounds like important information about your class."

"Since we're discussing an alliance, we need to show some sincerity. Otherwise, how could we make any progress?"

Katsuragi answered Hashiba Hikaru's question, then continued, "I'll be the class leader for the first round. That's why I came to find you."

"Classes A and B are currently the top two classes in our year. We have abilities that Classes C and D lack. That's our advantage."

Hashiba Hikaru ran his finger along the rim of the coffee cup that had just been brought over and said quietly, "But no matter what, we're still opponents, aren't we? In the end, there can only be one winner."

"That's true, but three years is a long time. We can make a lot of arrangements in advance."

"If we form an alliance, Classes A and B can work together in the Special Exams and leave the other two classes far behind, so they can no longer threaten our positions." Katsuragi's tone was measured. "Once we've achieved that, the two of our classes can decide the winner between ourselves. What do you think, Hashiba?"

"Hmm..."

After hearing Katsuragi's suggestion, Hashiba Hikaru felt like laughing.

I'm always the one making promises to other people. Since when did it become your turn to play that game?

Even if Class A was highly capable, an alliance would indeed help them leave Classes C and D behind. But the bald man couldn't speak for all of Class A right now, and Hashiba Hikaru didn't trust him. They'd only just met. At a competitive school like this, sometimes you couldn't even trust your own classmates, let alone students from another class.

Besides, alliances were a hassle in themselves. The Special Exams hadn't even started, and they didn't know what the rules would be. Tying themselves together now might only interfere with their plans later.

What's more, the boy had access to information networks and resources that the other classes lacked. Unless an urgent situation arose, he had no need to form an alliance.

So Hashiba Hikaru looked Katsuragi in the eye and asked casually, "Before we make a decision, I'd like to ask: has Sakayanagi agreed to this alliance?"

"Well..."

Katsuragi Kohei hesitated, but still nodded. "I've told Sakayanagi about the alliance plan. She hasn't raised any objections."

"Heh."

Hashiba Hikaru chuckled under his breath. So the usually cautious Katsuragi wasn't just making promises; he was playing games, too.

"I see. I think I understand." Hashiba Hikaru had no intention of calling him out in front of everyone. Instead, he turned to Ichinose Honami and asked, "Ichinose, as Class B's leader, what do you think of Katsuragi's proposal?"

"Me?"

The girl had been weighing the pros and cons of the alliance. In the course of collecting points, Class A had had the easiest time. They'd only needed to say a few words before everyone agreed.

Classes C and D had gone down many unnecessary detours. Ichinose Honami had watched how everyone performed. Forming an alliance with the strongest class, Class A, might not be a bad option to consider.

But when she saw Hashiba Hikaru's look, she immediately understood what he meant and quickly answered Katsuragi, "I can't give you an answer right now, Katsuragi. I need to ask the rest of my class what they think. This is too important to decide on my own."

"That's fine. I'll wait until you've discussed it." Katsuragi accepted her answer, then took out his phone.

"Let's exchange contact information, Hashiba."

"...Sure."

Hashiba Hikaru nodded. He'd gotten quite a few phone numbers over the past couple of days, and not one of their owners was easy to deal with.

After they exchanged contact information, Katsuragi and Totsuka quickly left.

"Hashiba, what were you thinking just now?"

Once they were gone, Ichinose asked him.

After spending this much time with him, the girl could more or less read the meaning in Hashiba Hikaru's eyes. That was how she'd managed to change the subject so quickly.

"Katsuragi definitely has more than one reason for seeking an alliance with us," Hashiba Hikaru said, rubbing his temples. "According to him, Class A is currently taking turns in the role of class leader. Katsuragi and Sakayanagi are alternating, with each turn lasting one Special Exam."

"That's because neither of them can completely control the class right now. So they came up with this arrangement. But Class A is already showing signs of division, and this arrangement will only make their future conflict more intense."

"You mean everyone will be watching for mistakes?" Ichinose Honami had caught on. Her expression grew troubled.

"Exactly. When Katsuragi's the leader, everything he does will be watched by the students of Class A. If he performs poorly or suffers a setback, Sakayanagi's faction will find a chance to attack. They might even try to poach members of the Katsuragi Faction."

"That was bound to happen. So maybe he had another reason for seeking an alliance with us."

Hashiba Hikaru took a sip of his still-warm coffee, his eyes gleaming as he considered the possibilities.

The Celebration

"Then what do you think Katsuragi's reason for approaching us might be?" Ichinose Honami seemed to understand. Her delicate brows drew together, and she looked a little nervous.

"I can only think of two possibilities." Hashiba Hikaru placed his hands on the table and explained his reasoning. "First, Sakayanagi is putting a lot of pressure on Katsuragi right now. He's the one leading the class in the first round of their rotation, so he has to get results. Otherwise, his faction will lose confidence in him."

"Second, he was definitely holding something back just now. Whether it's an alliance or mutual support, he told us about Class A's current situation right away to show that he was being sincere." The boy spoke at an unhurried pace, thinking as he went.

"But judging from Sakayanagi's attitude when I asked about her, I suspect there's still a lot going on that we don't know about." Hashiba Hikaru smiled and asked Ichinose, "If Sakayanagi agreed, why didn't she come with him? Even if she wasn't feeling well, she could have sent someone in her place."

"Especially since we saw them fighting for control of their class on the first day of school, when we went to sell the rules together. That's what makes his claim so hard to trust."

"So you think we should reject their alliance?"

"Not necessarily." The boy shook his head and met Ichinose's eyes. "If you find someone reliable, an alliance is definitely more beneficial than harmful."

"But for Class B, there's no need to rush into an alliance with another class right now. We can make our way up through our own efforts, with everyone working together."

"Then what should we do about Katsuragi's proposal?"

"Heh. That depends on what Class A really thinks—especially Sakayanagi." Hashiba Hikaru rubbed his chin. As the leader of the opposing faction, Sakayanagi had a great deal of influence in Class A as well. They needed to understand her position before they could make a better decision.

"Hashiba, do you have another plan?" Ichinose's expression brightened as she asked.

"No. It's your turn to step up now, Ichinose." Hashiba Hikaru looked at the pink-haired girl before him, his voice gentle. "Have you forgotten our agreement? Now that the Point Collection Plan is complete, isn't it time for you to contribute to the class?"

The girl froze at his words. Then a blush spread across her cheeks, and her eyes grew soft and shimmering.

She remembered how embarrassed she'd been in front of Hashiba Hikaru before. That time, the two of them had made an important agreement about the future of their class and proving her abilities.

It was also after that that Ichinose began to care more and more about the boy. Before she knew it, his every move could affect her emotions.

"I understand."

Ichinose Honami nodded firmly and said, "Then I'll go find Sakayanagi. I'll sound her out."

Hashiba Hikaru was pleased to see how eager she was, but he couldn't help asking, "Do you know anyone in Class A, Ichinose?"

"Hmm, not yet. But I think Ando knows someone in Class A. I can ask her."

Ichinose lowered her head and thought for a moment. Over the past few days, she'd been working with Hashiba Hikaru on the plan and hadn't had time to socialize. By contrast, Ando Sayo, who'd organized the dinner on the first day of school, had been busy making friends. She knew students from nearly every class and was now considered Class B's social butterfly.

"Then that should be fine. Having someone you know will make it easier to find Sakayanagi in Class A." Hashiba Hikaru thought for a moment, then said seriously, "Remember one thing: if Sakayanagi asks about our class's information, don't tell her anything. That includes the school's reward from last time."

"Got it." Listening to the boy's reminders made Ichinose feel warm inside. "Don't worry, Hashiba. Leave it to me. I won't let you down."

"Mm."

Hashiba Hikaru nodded. He already understood Ichinose's feelings from last time, so he needed to let her step up and prove herself. Only then could she put aside her doubts about her own abilities.