Sakayanagi Arisu's Deal.

"What dishes does Classmate Sakayanagi like to eat?"

Hashiba Hikaru opened the double-door refrigerator in the handmade kitchen, which was prepared for guests. The ingredients inside were very fresh, with a wide variety, and were checked daily.

"Anything is fine, Classmate Hashiba, please feel free to eat whatever you like. I don't have any dietary restrictions."

Sakayanagi Arisu glanced at the chef instructing her standing by the stove and gestured for Kamuro Masumi behind her to step forward and negotiate.

"Really? That's pretty good."

Since he was going to cook, Hashiba Hikaru decided to show her his skills.

The boy was carefully selecting different ingredients, and just as he was about to put them all into the sink to wash, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that the instructor wearing the chef's hat had disappeared.

Just as she looked towards the door with a hint of doubt, Kamuro Masumi, Sakayanagi Arisu, also disappeared.

"Um?"

"Don't worry, Classmate Hashiba, I've already had all irrelevant personnel leave."

After sensing Hashiba Hikaru's gaze, Sakayanagi explained softly.

"Why?"

Hashiba Hikaru turned on the tap, washed his hands, and asked the question in a nonchalant tone.

"Because I just figured this out. Since it's a date, we should ask irrelevant people to leave."

Sakayanagi Arisu looked at the boy's profile and said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"That's true."

After nodding, since all the "unrelated personnel" had left and it was now just the two of them eating, Hashiba Hikaru quickly decided on a menu and sped up the preparation of the ingredients at hand.

On the other side, Sakayanagi Arisu leaned back in her chair, watching the boy's busy figure without moving.

For some reason, the silver-haired girl, who clearly had no interest in cooking, didn't find Hashiba Hikaru's actions of preparing ingredients boring at all; in fact, she found them quite interesting.

"When did you start learning to cook, Classmate Hashiba?"

"Hmm... if I had to pinpoint my first time cooking, it would probably be back in elementary school."

Although she was answering the other person's question, Hashiba Hikaru's hands did not stop moving at all.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, because my parents were very busy with work when I was little, I had to heat up the food myself when I got home, otherwise I would have to eat it cold. I gradually became more and more skilled at it."

"She's so independent, no wonder Classmate Hashiba is so opinionated."

Sakayanagi Arisu's voice was gentle. Her curiosity about Hashiba Hikaru certainly didn't just go beyond what she showed at school; she wanted to know many things about him, including his past experiences.

"It's alright. Cooking isn't too hard. I found a lot of fun in it, and I even went to ask a cooking teacher for advice later."

The boy stirred the food in the pot twice with a spoon, and when the aroma of the food filled the air, he nodded with satisfaction.

"That's amazing. Guys who can cook are definitely very popular."

Sakayanagi Arisu also smelled the aroma of the food and smiled.

"Who knows? People who love cooking are probably more positive about life, that's my opinion."

Hashiba Hikaru glanced at Sakayanagi Arisu, who was sitting in a chair. Since the other woman had difficulty walking, there were many things she couldn't do, which meant that her cost of living was much higher than that of ordinary people.

"If someone can still cook every day no matter what difficulties they encounter, it shows they are a very resilient person."

Sakayanagi Arisu smiled slightly, "A person like that will succeed no matter what they do."

"More or less."

Seeing that the food was almost ready, Hashiba Hikaru took out a few clean plates from the shelf next to her. Just as she was about to plate them, Sakayanagi Arisu spoke up again.

"Classmate Hashiba, what brings you here today to discuss something?"

The silver-haired girl used her cane to stand up from the soft chair and walked to the dining table next to her to ask.

"I plan to bring this up during dinner."

Hashiba Hikaru placed the plates of food on the table, a faint smile appearing on her face. "But since Classmate Sakayanagi asked the question, do you have some suspicions?"

"... Is it that extra Praise Vote?"

Sakayanagi Arisu stared into Hashiba Hikaru's eyes and decisively gave her guess.

In fact, after the rules for this Additional Exam were announced, the girl immediately understood that this "Praise Vote that could be cast for another class" would be the key to the exam.

Based on Hashiba Hikaru's outstanding performance in each round of the Special Exam, the girl immediately made that connection when the other party took the initiative to ask her out today.

Although her relationship with the boy has become that of "lovers," Sakayanagi Arisu has already declared that she will compete with Ichinose Honami, which means she must act more proactively.

"That's right. The collaboration I wanted to discuss with Classmate Sakayanagi is those extra forty Praise Vote from each class."

Hashiba Hikaru bluntly announced his plan, and he prepared clean bowls and chopsticks for Sakayanagi Arisu with a calm expression.

What are you planning to do?

The silver-haired girl sat down in a chair at the dining table, looking at the three dishes and one soup laid out in front of her. If it were just two people eating, this would be more than enough.

"Once the rules for the Additional Exam are announced, many students will likely worry about whether they will be disliked by their classmates and receive many Criticism Vote. This is bound to happen."

Hashiba Hikaru pulled out a chair and sat down. He took a sip of water and began explaining his plan to the girl.

"Then what?"

Sitting opposite her, Sakayanagi Arisu picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth. The perfect seasoning and cooking gave the girl a wonderful taste. Judging from her taste, the boy's skills would be more than enough to open a restaurant.

"In that case, that Praise Vote that can be cast for another class will become very valuable."

Hashiba Hikaru looked across at the other side. Although Sakayanagi Arisu found the food delicious, she maintained an elegant posture while eating, a habit likely instilled in her by her aristocratic upbringing.

"How many students in Class B can you currently control, Classmate Sakayanagi?"

The boy's tone was serious, after all, this concerned the smooth execution of the plan. "I mean the people who will absolutely follow your instructions to fill in the voting names."

"Including me, there are thirty-three in total. The rest are all die-hard fans of Katsuragi."

Sakayanagi Arisu calmly explained the situation to the boy: although the Sakayanagi Faction made up the vast majority of Class B, the remaining members were very firm in their stance and had not defected yet.

"If I make an offer... how can you give me these thirty-three tickets?"

Hashiba Hikaru looked into the girl's bright, amethyst-like eyes and asked the crucial question, word by word.

Chapter 584 Sakayanagi Arisu's Transaction Plan

"If I make an offer... how can you give me these thirty-three tickets?"

After Hashiba Hikaru asked the question, the silver-haired girl paused for a moment while picking up food, but she quickly put down her chopsticks as usual and looked up to meet the boy's gaze.

"Given how much control Classmate Hashiba has over Class A, shouldn't all forty of your class's votes be under your command? Isn't that enough?"

This is what intrigues the girl. Although she guessed that the boy's goal was related to the Praise Vote, Sakayanagi Arisu was unaware of his full plan.

"Of course it's not enough. Our class paid such a high price this time, so we definitely need to find a way to recover."

Hashiba Hikaru didn't intend to hide it from Sakayanagi Arisu because he knew the other party was trustworthy.

"If that's the case, I actually have a pretty good plan that can minimize the losses for Classmate Hashiba's class."

After hearing his statement, Sakayanagi Arisu's lips curled into a mocking smile.

"Oh, I'd like to hear more."

Hashiba Hikaru raised her hand, gesturing for her to continue.

"If you're not willing to give up those 20 million Private Points, I can help Classmate Hashiba select someone and have your class collectively Criticism Vote for him. Although dropping out will result in a loss of Class Evaluation Points, all four classes will be affected, so it won't impact the class rankings."

Sakayanagi Arisu spoke slowly, but her words carried a harsh undertone.

"... Why? Our class's motto is that no one is allowed to drop out. Paying 20 million was entirely voluntary for this goal."

Hashiba Hikaru showed a moment of surprise, but quickly gave his answer.

"Is that so?"

Hearing the boy's answer, Sakayanagi Arisu seemed completely unsurprised and continued speaking in a meaningful tone.

"Classmate Hashiba, I've always had a unique understanding of you, and I'll tell you about it now. I don't know if it's right."

What is it?

"You don't really care about the students in Class A, do you? Whether they drop out or not doesn't affect you at all. The only thing you care about is Ichinose's opinion, am I right?"

Upon hearing this, the silver-haired girl instantly felt a chill emanating from Hashiba Hikaru, as she usually exuded a warm and welcoming aura. This change was quite noticeable.

What if I say you guessed wrong?

Hashiba Hikaru asked the question with a blank expression.

"That's alright. We'll have more time to spend together in the future, and I believe that one day I'll be able to truly understand Classmate Hashiba's heart."

Sakayanagi Arisu, though only for a moment, but she truly grasped Hashiba Hikaru's true thoughts.

"This plan won't work. Let's go back to our previous topic."

Hashiba Hikaru smiled, her aura softening once more.

To be honest, Sakayanagi Arisu actually guessed correctly just now.

Although Hashiba Hikaru is friendly, he never values the group more than himself. Rather than being selfless, he prefers to live a more comfortable life. After all, they are just classmates, not enough to make him risk his life.

His core reason for being willing to lead Class B forward was that he could graduate smoothly as a student of Class A and embark on a brighter path. As for the naive idea that everyone should be happy together and no one should be left out, that was certainly not his true thought.

The boy did care a lot about boosting Ichinose Honami's stock price back then, but now that he's given the [Ring of Vows] to Ichinose Honami, her stock price won't drop anymore, so there's no need to take this issue so seriously anymore.

For this Additional Exam, using 20 million Private Points to buy a withdrawal spot is a simple way to break the deadlock. Hashiba Hikaru believes she doesn't need to change her attitude; the important thing is what happens next.

"Alright then, let's get back to our previous topic. Classmate Hashiba wants the thirty-three Praise Vote that I can control, and wants to know what I think, right?"

Sakayanagi Arisu gazed at Hashiba Hikaru's calm face and repeated the question the boy had just asked.

The girl was surprised and delighted to have been able to peek into the depths of his heart through a surprise attack.

Because she knew very well that this part of Hashiba Hikaru's relationship was something Ichinose Honami didn't know. Even though they were a real couple, that woman couldn't possibly know that much.

Thinking this, a smile appeared on Sakayanagi Arisu's lips. "So I'm in the Lead now."

"That's right, I want the thirty-three votes for Zan Cheng Mei that Classmate Sakayanagi has. You can state your conditions now."

Hashiba Hikaru nodded slightly, indicating that she could accept any offer.

"If that's the case, my conditions are actually quite simple."

Seeing Hashiba Hikaru's expectant expression, Sakayanagi Arisu smiled gently, like a lotus flower blooming on a snow-capped peak.

"Then please have Classmate Sakayanagi speak."

"Hmm... since there are still four days until the vote, could you spare one day for me Classmate Hashiba- kun?"

Sakayanagi Arisu's voice was calm and unhurried, "For the rest of the day, Classmate Hashiba will need to work with me until the evening."

"?"

After hearing Sakayanagi Arisu's conditions, Hashiba Hikaru was somewhat taken aback. He had originally thought that the silver-haired girl would propose some kind of exchange of benefits, but he did not expect it to be like this.

"What exactly is the task?"

The boy asked.

"Classmate Hashiba, there's no need to be so nervous. Now that we're lovers, asking you to spend a day with me isn't an unreasonable request, is it? Or is it that you can't even afford this price?"

The weekend was approaching, Sakayanagi Arisu mind, planning to have Hashiba Hikaru accompany her to complete them.

"..."

After a moment of silence, Hashiba Hikaru made up her mind.

If spending a day with him can earn thirty-three Praise Vote, it's not a difficult thing at all. After that, the boy will go with Horikita Suzune to negotiate with the students in Class C; this is the second step of the plan.

"Alright then, if this day can help me and Classmate Sakayanagi get to know each other better, I think it's fine."

"Well, I might have to meet some other people then, so please stay by my side at all times Classmate Hashiba."

Sakayanagi Arisu smiled gently. Although she liked Hashiba Hikaru, it didn't mean she would miss this good opportunity. Ichinose Honami was always an obstacle in her way, and the girl wanted to get rid of her or change her attitude.

"What's the specific time?"